A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for taking a look at my new Kingdom Hearts story! I've decided to re-write the Hetalia chapter I put up and change it to my ORIGINAL plan, back to Kingdom Hearts after getting a few requests to write more VaniVen after my one-shot gift for my Vanitas, found here. ( /s/8624423/1/Affinity )
I feel like I also need to go over the time frame for This Little Light;
Writing such a big story with so few (Can you believe that BBS only has 14 CHARAS?) is near enough possible, what with all the positions and side pairings and such. That's why I've chosen to merge all the games together but REPLACE Sora and Roxas with Ventus and Vanitas. That's right, it's important that you as readers understand that Sora and Roxas would be five years old when this story takes place.
Riku, Kairi, Terra, etc – everybody else are all their USUAL ages. Sora and Roxas are the ONLY ones affected by this merge of stories, and you'll find out why towards the end of this story. Pleeease understand;;
To reiterate, Sora and Roxas are the only ones affected by the "time frame change" Imagine Ventus and Vanitas taking Sora and Roxas' place - this is JUST so I get to use ALL the characters and develop the story further, thank you!
Also, this story has characters from a few games related to KH, such as Final Fantasy and TWEWY!
Warnings: Possible Child Abuse Triggers. M rated for Language an dark themes.
Side pairings (will be changed): Zemyx, One-sided AkuDem, NamIku, RenoXTifa, OlletteXHayner, (others to come, leave suggestions in your review!)
What else…oh! My influences include: Harry Potter (If I choose – probably will– to add the use of "spells" later), The Hunger Games, Mirai Nikki, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (Siobhan's name)
That everything? I'm going to try and write a few chapters in advance so I don't have to keep you guys waiting for updates but I can only try my best; life is.. unpredictable lately. OTL
Enjoy chapter one of This Little Light!
This Little Light
Dubiety
"Can I ask you something?" A small grunt in response. "..Are you nervous?"
Struggle season was beginning. Audiences around the world would tune in every year to behold a sport – if you could call it that – they could never partake in themselves. That is why these tournaments were only open to those who lived on the Islands.
Destiny Islands was known for its vast beaches that formed the crusts of thick forests and great mountains alike, as well as the foggiest of swamps; rare anywhere else in the world, but a few of the Islands were lucky enough to have them. And by no stretch of the imagination would a Struggle be nearly as interesting if played anywhere else.
"Of course I am."
"And why do you think that is?"
"Well.. wouldn't you be?"
"Haha."
It was around this time of year; coming to the end of the Spring months, when the Island lit up with an unseen excitement. Everybody knew, and because the populations were, for the most part, small – everybody knew each other and had a connection to someone who was to take part. When Summer eventually settled in, foreign civilians would visit and crowd the cobbled streets with their rented vehicles, and since there were no hotels and few inns or anything, they would have to pay distant relatives a visit or stay with host families. Just to get a glimpse of the action up-close.
For the permanent residents, it was somewhat irritating; for around three weeks of their summer the beaches and streets would be crowded and…city-like and that comparison would send shivers up most of the care-free and blasé inhabitants of Destiny Island's spines. Still, it was only for a few weeks. Not the end of the world.
"You'll do fine, you know that."
"I didn't say I was worried about the tournament."
"Oh?"
"..This'll be the first time I've seen in him in three years.."
"..Ah."
"Hah! You think I'd be worried about the tournament?" A defensive flicker of a smirk played out across teenage, pallid features and ochre eyes flashed over a shoulder. A slightly older, brunette and petite young woman shrugged with a casual smile as she remained seated, notepad on her lap and pen in her hand.
"You sound like you've been training hard." She commented encouragingly, lowering her head to scribble down notes on the yellow lined paper. "But of course, that's to be expected." She glanced up at her client. "You do have one of the best coaches Destiny Island's ever had."
A spikey mop of deep raven hair shifted and a hand came up to brush through it. Vanitas nodded while sliding his eyes closed and allowing his smirk to deepen; almost taking that as a compliment to himself.
"She is the best." He stated, lowering his hand. "And she'd end you if she heard any differently." That earned a laugh from the woman and she shook her head.
"No need, I'm an avid fan." She kept a smile and raised both eyebrows. "I can only assume, from what you've told me, you two are very close." Vanitas shrugged as if he had heard this a million times before, eyes half-lidding.
"Yep." He took in a deep breath and extended his arms out towards the ceiling and stretched with a groan. "Like I said, she's like a…big sister or, cool Aunt or something." The elder put pen to paper.
'Refusal to call T anything like a Mother, again – work on avoiding the subject.'
"Uh huh, and you say she knows how to help you as well?" She questioned, peering over the top of her glasses with just one eyebrow raised now. Vanitas nodded, lowering his arms.
"I guess. She's not as good at words as you are and she'd beat me to a pulp if I stepped outta line too much, but.." He stood up, stretching his legs, and trailed off. "Heh.. I lay down for way too long when I come here."
"Well you can have a break from it tomorrow, right?" The woman stood, tucking her notepad under her arm and tugging down her plain white blouse before tilting her head a little. "You sure you're going to be okay?" She was answered with silence as the ravenette turned his head and placed his hands on his hips. He was frowning now. She sighed and scribbled something down on the corner of her notepad before tearing it off and holding it out for the other, tucking a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear as she did so. "Take it. It's my number and you won't get charged any extra for calling across islands, which is handy. You can even come back tomorrow night after your assessment, if you feel like you need to talk." There was a small hesitation before Vanitas sighed and took the number, keeping his gaze averted as if ashamed. He folded it up and slipped it into his pocket and eventually, his golden eye-line met the woman's chocolate one.
'Eye contact…..Good, Vanitas'. She thought with a smile as she moved towards the door and stood to the side to hold it open for him. "If you need anything you can call—just…try to keep the hours friendly, alright?" She pleaded with a chuckle and he smiled a little as he followed her and braced himself for an exit.
"Alright... Thanks." He nodded, his smile fading as he hesitated to leave. "Siobhan.. I keep seeing him again.." His voice quietened as he spoke, and once again his gaze was cast off to the side. The brown-eyed woman sighed and placed a reassuring hand on the kid's shoulder.
"What time does your Ferry leave?" She asked.
"Early morning; we have to be there for five." Siobhan winced at that exaggeratedly.
"And you said you got back around seven in the evening?" He nodded. "Come see me if you're still worried about it. I'll be here. Until then, go home and get some rest. Is your Carer coming to pick you up?" Vanitas shrugged, mind seemingly elsewhere. He left the room without much else to say and Siobhan turned back to the notes she had jotted down during that evening's session, and added one more to the long list.
'Told me he's seeing Sora in his dreams again.'
-o-o-o-
It was dark by the time Vanitas got outside, the street lights illuminated his way home. When he got to the house and closed the door behind him, he made no motion to be quieter or care if he woke the other people in the house up; because he knew she wouldn't. The only other resident in the household was sprawled out over the couch, face down and somewhat teetering on the edge, about to fall off the couch altogether. Vanitas dropped his bag and moved over, crouching by the woman's head and shaking her shoulder.
"Yuf," He whispered. A tired and drunken groan sounded, and the dark-haired young woman slowly sat up rubbing her eyes. "I'm back." Yuffie found the other through bleary sleep-vision and a warm smile immediately curled into her lips.
"Heeey, Vaniii~" She grinned, reaching up to ruffle the kid's hair rather heavy-handedly, earning a winced smile. "How was it?" Vanitas shrugged.
"Fine, I guess. Normal. Did you eat this evening?" He asked, raising his eyebrows a little at the seemingly untouched kitchen behind the couch then glanced back down at his guardian, a grin still in her sleepy features and hands still rubbing her eyes.
"Didn't really have the time, you know how it is. If you're hungry though, I could try to—" Vanitas cut her off with a shake of his head as he rose to his feet.
"Not that hungry." He dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand and his chocolate-eyed carer smirked through her nose up at the boy.
"Bull. You're a growing young man, you need your energy!" She insisted with an affectionate drawl as she stood, taking a stack of plates and cups into the kitchen on unsteady legs. The younger could hear the crush of several beer cans being stepped on as the other busied herself with preparing whatever food she could find. "How is Siobhan?" She called out from the kitchen, and Vanitas shrugged.
"Same as ever. She told me her niece started teething. She's really excited." He swivelled on one heel and plopped down into the couch, the seat still warm from the elder's presence. He heard Yuffie 'Ah' in acknowledgement. Vanitas' golden gaze then fell on the various cans and bottles strewn and scattered across the coffee table and floor. 'God, Yuffie..' He rolled his eyes with a short sigh and switched the TV on. "Any luck today?" He called out, lowering the remote into his lap when he found a programme documenting.. nothing of particular interest. Yuffie grimaced a little, boiling water.
"Nahhh," Her voice took on a comedic tenor, as if to lessen the news. "I think I was a bit loud for them, to be honest." She cut some chicken on a chopping board into strips and, by now, had mastered the art of throwing her voice out to sound more cheery than she was. She wasn't smiling. "They seemed like a bunch of dead-weights anyway! Who wants a boring office job when you could be out there having fun?" She chuckled, which Vanitas took for genuine, and she moved to the fridge to pull out some peppers to add to the mix. "I'll get 'em next time, though. I can feel it! Something good is on its way, kid!" She exclaimed with a smile, and this time she meant it that smile, even if her eyes were shimmering. She blamed it on the steam coming up from the boiling water, and added rice.
Vanitas sat up in his seat as his carer re-entered the room with two plates and handed one to him, sitting herself in the armchair at the end of the rectangular coffee table.
"Enjoy," Yuffie grinned a toothy grin and followed her own words, wrinkling his nose a bit. "Turn it up a bit, would you?" Vanitas did so, taking a mental note of the other's noticeably depleting hearing ability as of late. Yuffie thanked him with a nod and a smile. "How was school?"
"Dull." The younger poked his fork at his food, his expression matching the comment, then took large mouthful after answering.
"And training?" She watched as the ravenette nodded as if willing his food to go down faster so he could speak.
"Tifa thinks I might break the fastest knock-out time this year, no problem. She said my self-control still needs some work, but my aiming's getting better and she's seeing and improvement in my speed and strength. I cut thirty hundredths off last week's lap time. She's got me lifting weights." He said with a small smirk down at his food. Yuffie matched it with his own, wider smirk.
"Oi, since when were you and her on first name terms, eh?" She winked, teeth appearing from behind her smile.
"We're not. Master." He corrected himself with a roll of the eyes and shake of the head, finding no point in formalities when it came to coaching. The elder laughed heartily, seeming to drag herself out of her earlier sleepy and/or drunken stupor, as she watched the boy with an air of pride.
"My baby brother," She tilted her head a little, staring affectionately at the boy. Vanitas only stared at the TV; he never liked her calling him that because he knew it wasn't true. "You're going to grow up to be one of the Greats, you know." She raised both eyebrows and nodded eagerly as she stabbed enthusiastically at her food, stating it matter-of-factly and taking another forkful to her lips. "You'll enjoy yourself out there, won't you?" More of a request than anything else, Vanitas shrugged after a moment.
"Wouldn't bother otherwise." Yuffie chuckled again, ruffling his hair.
"That's my boy."
-o-o-o-
By the time 4am rolled around, Vanitas was already awake and had been for quite some time. He kept silent as he shuffled out of bed and moved to his dresser to get everything he needed for the day. He changed into a simple long-sleeved maroon shirt with a short-sleeved black one on top, black jeans and his running shoes. In his backpack he carried a more 'durable' change of clothes as well as some papers and his passport as a form of ID. The house was silent; Yuffie still passed out in her own bed. Vanitas didn't have the heart to wake her.
He left the house after leaving a note for the other in plain view on the fridge door, and took off down the street, his backpack bouncing off of his back with every running stride but he didn't mind. The street lights were still turned on at this time to aid his journey, seeing as the night starting to let up now, and the light of the sun was still barely visible through the deep blues and purples in the sky above.
'Today's going to be sunny,' he thought, as the harbour came into view, as well as a small crowd of groggy and half-asleep looking students.
"Heeeey, Vani!" A cheery and all-too-familiar voice sounding and a tall-ish, pale and lanky figure bustled his way through the small crowd to reach the ravenette. His toothy grin picked up the shine of a street light at the end of the dock as he slapped the boy's back in greeting. "Where's Yuffie? Didn't she come to drop you off?" He blinked, looking around back towards the beach where the dock joined. Vanitas shook his head with a roll of his eyes.
"No, she's asleep. I ran here." He said, shrugging the hand away and lowering his backpack to his feet to roll his shoulders.
"Ah well," Axel shrugged and glanced behind him at the Ferry, which seemed to carry its own luminescence, glowing with a yellow and an off-white tint against the navy and black water in this early morning obscurity. "You excited?" He turned his body to face the ferryboat and glanced over his shoulder at the younger, who just pursed his lips. "Oh don't tell me, nervous?"
"I'm not nervous." The younger narrowed in disgust at the possibility – he was completely confident in his ability! "..I'm just tired." Axel only laughed and shook his head, patting the other's back again.
"We'll get you on one of those comfy seats and you can have a rest. Have you seen Shiki or Dem yet?" Vanitas shook his head and Axel turned back to him, reaching down to take his backpack in his hand. "Wanna go look for them? Shiki said she needed to speak to you." He asked, casually looping Vanitas's backpack over his shoulder. Amber eyes stared off into the crowd and shook his head.
"No need, they're—"
"Vaniiii!" A high-pitched squeal cut him off before a blur of red flashed before the ravenette, and he found himself engrossed in a tight hug, which he struggled against.
"Get off me, Shiki, you saw me yesterday!" He demanded, glaring at Axel when he couldn't hold back a laugh any longer. Another figure approached the three from the crowd, following in his younger friend's footsteps. Demyx stood slightly shorter than Axel, and wore a grin, as if holding back a laugh as he reached out to yank the hyperactive redhead away from a very irritated Vanitas.
"Leave him be already, he's giving you the look again. You'll get yourself killed!" He pointed out with a short burst of laughter and highly raised eyebrows which secretly made Vanitas question if he was even joking or not as he rolled his eyes at the comment. Shiki didn't seem to hear, and beamed at Vanitas and Axel.
"I bet you're as excited as I am, right? Have you got everything?" She seemed the most motivated to be there out of the four of them, Vanitas thought, and despite how early in the day it was she looked as happy and eager as she always did. Axel parted his lips to respond but was cut off by a man in a uniform stood on the boat's gangplank, waving one arm in the air and cupping the other hand over his mouth to throw his voice out and get the attention of the students.
"Right now, listen up! All Struggle Contenders will be asked to show ID and then let onto the Ferryboat, and we'll make our way to Destiny Island. So everybody form a line – teachers and coaches, if you'd like to stand on my left side – and we'll get you nice and warm as soon as we can. Thank you!"
-o-o-o-
Once everybody was on the boat and seated and the engines had started up, Vanitas slumped down into a plush chair and rubbed his temples. Axel saw the uncomfortable display and broke away from his squabbling friends and took the seat opposite the ravenette, tilting his head a little.
".. Feeling nervo—"
"I dare you to say it." He shot a light-hearted glare, knowing the other would take the threat as a joke. Axel smirked through his nose and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"If it isn't nerves, what is it?" He asked, his voice fairly quiet and somewhat hard to hear over the constant buzz of excited chattering from students around them. Vanitas glanced off to the side, out of the small, round window where he could see his own island shrouded in a sleeping darkness as the sky surrounding it turned an insipid blue, and the morning light started creeping in. He took a moment to answer, and didn't look at his friend when he did.
"Ventus." A blunt and rather reluctant statement which didn't show much sign of wanting to continue the conversation, Axel took the hint and leaned back in his chair, looking over his shoulder at the two behind him who had now settled their differences and were gathering food from the buffet together.
"Are you going to come over for food? You can't have eaten breakfast already." Vanitas didn't look away from the window and shook his head.
"Not hungry." And knowing he wouldn't win in a fight with Vanitas where food came into play, Axel smiled a little sadly and slapped his knees before standing and approaching the lunch bar, only to be replaced with Shiki and Demyx.
"You have to try the sandwiches here, Vani, they cut them up into triangles – it's so cute!" She grinned, tucking into her plate keenly. Demyx looked to Vanitas.
"You not gonna eat? Didn't think I'd intimidate you that much this early on." He joked whilst mimicking Shiki's actions, again, with a straight face. The ochre-eyed boy scoffed and sat up in his seat, resting his elbows on the armrests.
"What are the people like, there?" Genuine curiosity ladled his words, even if he spoke with half-lidded eyes. Shiki blinked over at her dirty-blond friend as she took another bite, and covered her mouth to hide her swallowing, then cleared her throat.
"Hm, well, the kids from the North are okay people-wise, but they're also our strongest competition. West play dirty.. they don't usually get that far though, they have a kind of corrupt coach, I guess….and the East island's no real problem, not a lot even make it past the preliminaries." She said the last statement with a smile to Demyx, and he smirked; no doubt there was an inside joke or memory of last year's event shared between them. "Your friend's in the North, right?" Vanitas glanced out of the window again momentarily, then turned back and nodded silently; not bothering to correct the word 'friend' . "Well…I wish him luck! Northern's got some.. Old coach. Tall, bald, yellow eyes.. He's really strict, I heard – plus, he and Tifa used to have a thing." She held her hand up to her mouth at that last sentence, as if it were top secret. Vanitas just rolled his eyes and Axel toddled back over with a plate of food and sat on the table, noticing his chair had been repossessed.
"Is that that.. Xehanort? Who you're talking about?" The pyro asked as he took a mouthful of whatever he had picked up. He seemed even unsure of the guy's name. Shiki nodded.
"Mhm, we have to watch out for the Northerners every year because of him. Your little friend might have turned into some heavyweight bodybuilder under his coaching!" She laughed, and Vanitas found himself chuckling under his breath. From what he could remember; Ventus was not the muscle type, but the image amused him greatly, even if the boy's face was blurry and unrecognisable.
'Wonder what you're like, now..'
His thought process was broken when Axel turned to him with a grin, as if expecting something.
"…What?"
"I said; we're going to get to the final this year and one of us is going to win it, right?" He repeated, as if it were a promise they had made together long ago.
"Oh.. sure." A small nod, and Vanitas went back to looking out of the window. His island was a small black silhouette in the enormity of the ocean, now, only visible when the Ferry was thrown up by the waves. He had never liked these hour-long rides they had to make every time there was an event in the Northern school; he was already sick of the swaying and bobbing and they still had a while to go until they would get to rest on dry land again. Axel seemed happy with that answer and Demyx looked between his three friends.
"I've got this feeling…" He started, and Axel smirked.
"That's probably indigestion."
"No…" Shiki laughed behind her fanned out fingers and Demyx stood, shaking his head. "I mean, I can tell this year's going to be a good one." Vanitas pulled his gaze away from the window and stared at his mulleted friend, resting his head in his palm.
"Oh?"
"Yeah…Something's telling me it's going to be special. The best tournament yet, I think." He smiled at the ravenette and Shiki leaned across to nudge his leg. Vanitas simply shrugged.
"If you say so."
A/N: There you have it! The first chapter of "This Little Light"! Hope you liked itttt~
PLEASE review guys, they make my week, and I'd be interested to know how many of you want me to continue this!