~*Famous Last Words*~

He had done it…he had done it…they were safe.

~***~

Ventus had only a few moments to look down and see exactly what he was about to land on, since he was falling slowly onto a large, wide, circular stained glass platform.

To the right was himself. Sleeping, in a reclining position, one hand on his knee, the other gripping his Keyblade. Or at least he looked asleep. Maybe his eyes were just closed. To his right, Ventus was mortified to see the black and red, eerily organic looking suit of Vanitas. The black haired Unversed—for if all Unversed came from him, maybe he was one too?—was also sleeping, though upside-down compared to Ventus's own image, in the same posture with his dark Keyblade, the one with the blue eye, in his free hand.

The background depicted seven white bubbles, though only four were visible, bearing different insignias. A heart, with two crossed Keyblades forming an X, was in the center. Ventus's side of the mural was patterned various shades of green, Vanitas's side was blue and red. Below the seven white circles, there was a stylized silhouette of the Keyblade Graveyard.

All of this was assessed in the handful of heartbeats Ventus had to survey the scene. Then he landed, softly, looking around warily, not sure what to expect. Besides the soft glow of the mural, there was nothing out there but the blank, stifling shadows. Blackness. Never ending.

Ventus glanced to the sides, but some sixth sense warned him to look behind himself. Turning, he watched as Vanitas hovered down to land a few feet across from him, standing on the picture Ventus's side of the stained glass. His helmet was off, revealing a shock of uncontrolled, spiky black hair framing a pale young face. Yellow eyes gleamed brightly with the smug satisfaction of a hunter cornering its prey. He started speaking before his feet were even fully on the ground.

"Our fusion was incomplete," he remarked carelessly. Ven's eyes were drawn to the twisted Keyblade in his adversary's grasp. It resembled two Kingdom Keys, crossed to form an X, with Vanitas's hands coiled around where their joint handles joined. A wide, round, golden ribbed shape, almost a wheel, formed behind the twin blades. It was patchy, missing some pieces, with Darkness throbbing in black ripples along its length. From the flat "circle", a blade that seemed more like a sword than the teeth of a key jabbed menacingly forward. "This is all of the X-Blade we've managed to create," Vanitas went on.

Ventus continued to watch silently as the darkly clad male lifted the unnatural weapon—that's what his mind was screaming, unholy, twisted, aberrant!—and smiled slightly, his lips turning up at the corners. "Let's try to create the X-Blade once more!" Vanitas brandished his sword, for that's what it was to the boy, that was no key, and pointed it straight at him.

Whatever reaction the black haired monstrosity had been expecting, it wasn't the cursory glance Ventus gave him, accompanied by a slow shake of his head, eyes closed. He turned to fully face Vanitas, raising his hand and summoning his Keyblade in a swirl of gathering white particles. "I will defeat you," he vowed evenly. "And destroy the X-Blade too." Something had settled into the blonde boy's heart, something heavy and unyielding. A rock. A boulder. No, still not even close. A mountain of determination that steadied the beat in his chest and stopped his voice from trembling. There was no fear, only an awful finality.

To anyone watching, Ventus would look every inch a Keyblade Master, young as he was.

Pointing his weapon backwards, bending his knees and settling into a ready stance, he waited for his adversary to respond. He didn't have to wait long.

Vanitas smiled again, his lips turning up wider, and let out a scornful, wild, cackling laugh. It bordered on the edge of insanity. The X-Blade was still directed at Ventus. "The X-Blade is created from our hearts! If you destroy it, you'll be destroying your own heart!" He exclaimed scathingly, but an odd joy tinged his voice too.

Ventus didn't flinch. The mountain didn't shift. "I don't care. I'll be saving Terra and Aqua."

Vanitas scoffed. "So, it's the whole 'for my friends' sakes' again?" Regardless, he lowered his weapon a bit, letting it relax at his side.

"You would never understand!" Ventus growled furiously, clenching his free hand briefly into a fist. He folded that same hand over his heart, balling the fingers up tighter. Images of Terra and Aqua fluttered through his mind, soft and delicate as butterflies, and for a fleeting moment, he imagined they were there with him, lending him their strength. "You become stronger, when you have friends to protect." He closed his eyes momentarily, his heart thudding against his ribcage.

He was not afraid. No, he was excited. Exhilarated, even. It all ended here. Either way, his long journey was over.

Ventus snapped open his eyes and flourished his weapon, brandishing his empty hand as if to strike the very air. "My friends are my power!"

Vanitas smirked and shifted into his battle stance, carrying the X-Blade with one arched arm, above his shoulder, directing the sword's point at Ventus.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, the boy twirled his Keyblade and braced himself for the incoming barrage of attacks. He wasn't fighting for himself. He was fighting for something infinitely more precious. His friends. What would Vanitas to do them if he took over his body, with the X-Blade at full power? Conceal the change until he was a foot away, and then stab at their hearts?

The mere thought made Ventus mentally cringe. No. He'd kill himself before he let that happen. Vanitas would not win, or absorb him, or whatever the heck he would do if he succeeded.

Ventus suddenly charged, stepping lightly across the ground, hearing the empty clinks as his metal shoes struck the stained glass. He had an odd feeling that his armor would be no use here, in the very depths of his heart.

Vanitas took a step back, but it wasn't in retreat. No, it was preparation, really. Lifting the X-Blade high, he let loose with a large column of yellow-black light that soared heavenward. Ventus reached him before the motion was finished, the energy petering out. The black male snarled, the muscles in his arms flexing as he struck at Ventus with all the strength he had.

Ventus parried, gasping as he was forced to give a little ground to his adversary, quickly countering with three successful blows. Master Eraqus's words seemed to be echoing in his mind, a solid wall of wisdom that thrummed in every vein of his body. He rolled hastily out of the way, grunting as the X-Blade clipped his shoulder, luckily the armored side. Still, it was enough to unbalance him, and in a black vortex with a red core, Vanitas teleported out of his way, reappearing just to his side.

The strike came hard and merciless. It knocked all of the breath from his lungs, and an agonizing pain seared through his body. Ventus's world spun, and he struggled to compose himself, deflecting blow after blow, fearing the moment his guard might slip.

Aqua's good luck charm. He had no idea why the green trinket had come to mind, but come it had, and with it came the memory of Aqua. His friend. All three of them, they'd be together again. They promised. And if he couldn't believe a promise, what could you believe?

A wordless cry of fury tore itself from his lips, and Ventus unbalanced Vanitas with a complicated block. With a startled shout, his foe recoiled, and the golden haired teen pounced like a rabid wildcat, Keyblade swinging from side to side in complicated forms.

Vanitas recovered swiftly, but still, the teeth of Ventus's weapon had ripped into his flesh, past even the life-like suit. His yellow eyes glowed, weaving from side to side with their master, as he dodged and evaded Ventus's attacks, countering with some feral strikes of his own.

He tried once again, unsuccessfully, to pull off whatever the twilight beam did. Ventus interrupted him once more, careening into him, slicing and twisting, ducking and blocking, exchanging blow after blow with his opponent.

Vanitas was tiring, but Ventus was in much worse shape. He was forced to retreat hastily, calling on the magic that flowed through his system, welcoming the green energy as the Curaga spell sprung into glorious life as a red flower over his head.

When the dark male started warping rapidly, appearing just as quickly behind Ventus as he did in front, the boy was forced to spin in almost a berserker circle, going on the defensive as he struggled to repel every strike coming his way. Some attacks found their ways past his guard, but mostly he was successful. None of them were fatal.

Vanitas suddenly leaped into the air, raising the X-Blade and holding it before him. A golden, cross shaped light materialized in front of the deadly weapon, and with that, the black clad monstrosity began a set of sweeping dive-bombs.

Ventus realized after one failed block that almost sent him to his knees that the force behind the X-Blade was too much to guard against. He concentrated on fleeing instead, rolling from side to side, desperate to avoid Vanitas's charges. The attack couldn't last forever, he'd wait it out.

He was right. As soon as his adversary landed, Ventus tackled him, growling through his teeth, bashing his Keyblade, passing through his familiar combo stances. Healing magic trickled across his form as he hurriedly stepped back to repair the worst of his gashes, and for a moment, Vanitas was too stunned to do much else besides breathe.

Ventus felt himself tiring. They'd have to stop soon. But who would collapse first? And if Vanitas fell before him, would he be able to strike him down? Kill his own heart? Or was Vanitas bluffing?

A black and silver lightning bolt arced straight at him, and Ventus barely escaped the deadly projectile. Vanitas smiled again—that wicked, borderline insane smile—and brandished the X-Blade, raising it high above his head.

Ventus struck once more with his infamous speed, the Light surging through his body. He felt like he was on fire, but a gentle kind of fire. He mimicked Vanitas's earlier teleporting, but his was faster. The dark male didn't have a prayer, taking all of his blows to his side, face, arms, legs. Somehow, the monstrosity stood again when the boy stopped, the energy trickling away.

Vanitas snarled, and there was an animal fury to the sound. He jumped skyward, hovering against the blackness, charging the X-Blade so that it gleamed a brilliant gold. He tossed it down against the stained glass…

And shattered it.

Bright yellow lines—cracks—formed across its surface, bending downwards as it began to break apart. The small blast from the X-Blade collision was swallowed up by the humongous white explosion that emanated from the destroyed platform, the only solid ground in the shadows.

Ventus wondered what would happen next. He soon got his answer.

He fell through the air, maintaining the best he could his attack stance, watching for Vanitas. All around him, also spiraling downward, were hundreds of stained glass shards. They still gave off a vibrant radiance, resembling for all the world Christmas lights against a night sky.

None were big enough to land on, unfortunately.

At the last moment, Ventus noticed Vanitas falling across from him. Too late.

A dark blue beam with a lighter cobalt inside lanced straight towards him, striking his chest and part of his arm, the one holding his Keyblade. Sheer willpower kept his grip on the weapon strong, and Ventus narrowed his eyes against the pain.

Strong. I have to be strong. Like Terra.

Terra was unmovable, like the earth…invincible, right?

Vanitas fired another thick column of dark energy, but this time Ventus felt the Light singing its golden song in his ears, felt it in his heart. He lifted his own Keyblade and retaliated in kind with a spiraling beam of pure yellow radiance. It was like watching sunlight becoming a weapon.

Ventus felt like someone had set his body on fire, and his head was throbbing viciously. Regardless, he summoned every last ounce of strength he had inside of him, combating Vanitas as they struggled. The two colliding forces shoved against one another. One moment Vanitas had the upper hand and his dark force was closer to hitting Ventus, the next moment, Ventus was winning.

Another groan of agony escaped Vanitas and the X-Blade was lowered. The Light roared in his ears as Ventus darted forward and sliced three times across his foe's chest. Following the graceful arches of his Keyblade were streams of brilliant yellow intensity.

He broke away, and Vanitas shouted, his voice unexpectedly loud in the silence since their weapons no longer clashed against one another. "You won't win!"

Ventus narrowed his eyes. "Famous last words!"

"You're shattering your own heart!" Vanitas howled in fury, spinning his X-Blade and catapulting towards Ventus. The boy raised his weapon and let the Light expel another stream of energy. Vanitas responded in kind.

Twice more they battled with pure Darkness and Light, the two raging against one another. Every time, though the last effort was almost a loss, Ventus prevailed. The boy gave one final battle cry, raising his free hand. Vanitas's eyes widened in horror as he beheld the golden globes that were spiraling swiftly towards Ventus's palm.

"You're done!" Ventus shouted as crystalline pillars, the color of frozen sunbeams, instantly appeared in midair and crashed down on Vanitas, trapping him in their embrace. Ventus twirled his Keyblade once more, taking a deep breath. There was no time for hesitation, no time to think. Only pure action and reaction.

He drove the Keyblade through Vanitas's black heart as his adversary was still contained in the gold crystal spires. The Light's warm hum faded from his ears as the black haired monstrosity—as much an Unversed as any of the other creatures—cried out in pain.

"It won't…end this way…" Vanitas moaned, but there was no real venom in his tone. He was beaten, and they both knew it. As Ventus's swing came to an end, Vanitas's body bent over backwards slightly, the X-Blade beginning to slip from his grip. Its heart shaped Keychain—with the same crossed Kingdom Keys—swung wildly from side to side.

Vanitas's fingers released their hold on the joined handles of the X-Blade.

They were still falling. Always falling.

A frail, startled gasp emerged from between Vanitas's lips. He weakly reached for his weapon, his attempts becoming more frantic as it hovered always just out of his reach. Ventus watched, silently, as his foe continued to struggle.

Eraqus had always told him not to attack an unarmed opponent. And yet something about Vanitas's pathetic efforts to snatch the X-Blade back amused him.

Vanitas didn't even look at Ventus, acted like he wasn't there. He tried twice more, each movement of his arms becoming slower, until he stopped trying all together. His body suddenly relaxed, as if the battle had worn him out. Pale lids closed over golden eyes for the last time, and a tired sigh slipped through his teeth.

Light forced its way out of the X-Blade as Vanitas's body—corpse?—fell ever lower. The weapon seemed unaffected by gravity. As more beams shattered its structure, it disintegrated entirely into a shower of golden sparks and brilliant sprinkles. They winked out of existence, one by one.

A lethargic feeling crept into Ventus's muscles, body, heart, mind. He shook it off, staring in only mild surprise as his own Keyblade disappeared in a bright ivory glow. It had served him well.

Straight to his final battle.

The ivory glow suddenly transformed into an identical yellow burst that the X-Blade had vanished with. Ventus's vague hope that Vanitas's threat—that destroying the X-Blade destroyed their hearts—died with it.

Below him, somehow unnoticed, a pure black floor that was even darker than the deep gray shadows around them absorbed the glowing sparkles. Vanitas's body, his face strangely relaxed, disappeared in a sweeping expanse of white that obscured his entire body before he even touched the ground. When the ivory shape—all that was left of the darkly clad male—collided gently with the black floor, a large ripple of gold-tinged white spread across its surface, edged by ivory petals.

Ventus gasped softly as he beheld the new stained glass platform. He landed gently, just like he had arrived, but this time it was only him on the green mural. No Vanitas. It was like he had never been.

A smile, sad, slightly regretful smile turned up the boy's lips. His friends would be safe now. He lifted his head, looked at the stormy sky, and closed his eyes as the Light warmly crept up his body from the ground up. He let it take him; let it sweep him away without fuss. He knew this would happen, after all. He had always known the consequences.

As he dissipated, vanishing from sight, his emerald mural glowed brighter.

No Keyblade Graveyard. Just a rocky desert. No crossed Kingdom Keys in the seven white circles. Just stars, stars, stars. Red and blue against the green. Red and blue.

~***~

He was falling.

He had the sensation of breaking past water, hearing its strangely comforting gurgle. He could breathe easily, and didn't have to fear its lukewarm embrace. He didn't open his eyes, but he had the feeling that something huge and dark was below him. The ocean floor. Bubbles, silver he imagined, whistled past his ears with a soft murmur.

Weakly, he forced his eyelids open. He wanted to see where he was. Somehow, he knew. Somehow, the ache in his chest had always known where he was.

"This place…"

He spiraled deeper.

"I get it…This is your…"

He had expected more crushing shadows, but the unforgettable heat of the Light seeped into his weary body instead, erasing the still aching wounds from his battle with Vanitas.

Comforting. Familiar.

"This is your heart, Sora."

And Ventus closed his eyes once more.

~***~
Well, instant special thanks to Ninetailedsaru2 on YouTube for his very nice video on the Vanitas and Ventus battle that I used as a reference. Songs that I listened to while writing this was Fate of the Unknown, The Final Vanitas Battle, and various Kingdom Hearts II battle songs. Xemnas's and stuff. You know.

Vanitas's song is awesome. Hehe.

Anyway, I had an immense amount of fun writing this, I'd be honored if you would kindly drop a review. I apologize in advance for typos—I had a headache. Ugh.