Hello there! I've been looking for a good time to post this fic for a while, and I couldn't until now. But with how events are turning in my other fic, Dark Heart, I couldn't wait for too long because of similar themes ( = Aqua looking for Ven) so it was best to post it now. Hope you will enjoy!

You want us to be together, don't you? Then come. Follow my voice, I will guide you. Come alone, and you won't have to be alone anymore. I will let you in. You, and nobody else.

"Aqua, this place… This is…"

"The Land of Departure. That's how it was called, years ago."

Aqua tried to stop her hand from shaking. She was back. The Castle was in the state she had left it, crooked, its shape all wrong. And yet, she could recognize the towers, she would remember that this window used to be her bedroom, that this other was the library. She could restore the place - she had the power to. But she wouldn't do it alone. She would wait for Terra and Ven to be back at her side, and then, together, they would be able to call this place home again.

She frowned at the door. She could feel that there was something wrong. In a way, the Castle was alive, connected to her, as she was its Master. She put her hands on the door and closed her eyes.

"Someone came here before. Someone broke into the castle."

"Yes, about that… That's what we were trying to tell you, actually."

The Castle had caught her attention so much she had not really been paying much attention to what her companions had been saying, she realised. She felt bad for that. Where was her education? The Castle was right there, under their eyes. It had waited a decade. It could wait a few more minutes. She gave Riku, Sora, Donald and Goofy an apologetic smile.

"This place was the base of operations of the Organization XIII." She stared at Riku, not sure she understood well.

"I thought you told me they lived in a world named The World That Never Was."

Sora sighed. "They did. But a small group of them worked here… We thought this place was called Castle Oblivion. To be fair, I don't remember anything that happened here, but Riku does."

Aqua shook her head. "Are you sure this is the place? I'm not sure this is possible. The Castle was locked, and connected to my heart. It wouldn't let anyone in, unless…" She paled. "Oh no. Master Yen Sid said that the Organization leader, Xemnas, could be the Nobody of Terra's body controled by Xehanort, right?" Even she had a headache from this. Sora slowly nodded.

"This Castle is connected to my heart. Terra lived here for many years, and so did Xehanort. While Xehanort is my enemy, Terra is deeply connected to me… This is just a theory, but I think the Castle might have unlocked for him. It could even have welcomed him home."

"Gawrsh, but don't you think that means…"

"Is Ventus alright?"

She smiled at Goofy and Donald. She had faith in that Castle. "I have locked the Castle away from anyone who could be a threat, but Ven's room is a bit more peculiar. It is locked by a different spell, and only two people can open this door. Ventus and I. I have confidence that he is still there." She put her forehead against the door. "I can feel he is still there."

"Then let's get him."

She pushed the door, since it wasn't locked anymore, stepping into the white hall. She missed the original place. There used to be a lot of paintings on the wall, one of them being a very ugly piece Terra and her painted when they were somewhere around eight and that their Master had framed and hung among paintings from very talented persons. Would that piece still be there once she had restored the place? She wondered if everything would go back to normal - maybe Terra's teddy bear was still in his closet, maybe Ven's dirty socks would still be lying on the ground. She frowned. She hoped they wouldn't, not after ten years without being washed. Maybe her mother's necklace was still waiting for her in her nightstand drawer. Oh, just how much she had missed this place.

"Do you know the way?" Riku softly asked, as if he didn't want to wake her from her memories. She chuckled.

"Of course I know. Or should I say I don't? But this Castle does. It will lead us wherever we want to."

"Anywhere?" She was surprised by Sora's question. Had he a specific place in mind?

"And without cards?" Riku's question surprised her just as much. What kind of cards was he talking about? Seeing how confused she was, he smiled.

"The last time we came here, we had to use cards to go from one room to another, and even to fight. Not only us, but the Organization XIII as well. This Castle obeyed to very different rules."

His explanation stung her heart. Ventus loved playing cards. Any game, any type of cards, he had hundreds of them stacked in his room. Could it be… Had he been influencing the Castle as well? Aqua swung her keyblade, then cast a Cure on herself. She giggled, shaking her head. Whether that was Ventus's or the Castle's rules, they knew better than to tell her what to do.

"As long as I am inside, the only rules will be mine. Is there somewhere you wanted to go, Sora?

Sora nodded, almost shyly. That was unusual for him. He stared at the ground.

"I can't remember, but… When we were in that Castle last time, I met a girl named Naminé. All my memories of that time are gone, but I want to know more about her. I want to really remember her. And I thought that maybe this place could give me hints."

He looked really sad he couldn't remember her. Aqua wondered how she would feel if she had forgotten Terra, or Ven. She would probably be devastated. She nodded softly. "Of your way, and I will go mine. If you don't mind, I would like to be alone with Ventus for a while, too. Let's meet up once we've all done what we had to, alright? The Castle will lead us back to each other when we are ready." She closed her eyes, and felt the walls react at her order. It would help them. All of them. "Thank you", she gently whispered to her home, and she heard the door ahead of them unlock.

"Time to go."

The door led them to another vast, empty white room. This one had two doors, though, one marked by a green star, the other by a yellow one.

"Is that…" Riku started, puzzled. Sora dashed towards the yellow door. "This is our door! Look, it's a paopu fruit. It's gotta be for us!"

Aqua smiled, looking at the green star on the other door, pulling out of her pocket a similar blue star. Her Wayfinder. Ven's green one was painted on the door, and that could be no coincidence.

"Let's meet up later. Be careful, everyone."

"You too, Aqua." Sora grinned. "Remember: even if you cannot wake him up, just bring him back. Master Yen Sid might be able to help."

She bitterly thought that Master Yen Sid had never been able to help, but she swallowed that back and nodded. The boys disappeared behind their door, and she pushed hers.

Another empty hall. Always empty halls. The door facing her bore no inscription, nothing that made it any different from the countless doors there were in this Castle. And yet, she would recognize this door from any other.

It wasn't a door. It was the door.

The door she had locked ten years ago.

The door that was sealed.

The forbidden door, protecting a precious life.

One step after another, she walked closer. Slowly. Really slowly. Ventus was there. Waiting for her. How old was he, now? How old was she? Would he look any older? Because she had not aged. Would she see an adult sleeping in child's clothing? The thought of it almost made her giggle, as she pointed her keyblade at the door.

Almost.

She would have giggled, if her keyblade had reacted to the door. But it had not.

The seal had already been broken.

Someone had already entered the room.

Ventus wasn't safe anymore.

She had two options. Kick the door and be ready to attack whoever was in. Or sneak in and have more time to analyze the situation. She finally chose the latter, and, her weapon in one hand, she carefully pushed the door with her other hand. She did not know what to expect. She did not know if she wanted to expect anything.

Anyway, nothing could have prepared her for what was in the room.

Come, and sit next to me now. Rest your head on my shoulder. You don't have to be alone anymore. You don't have to suffer anymore. I can feel your pain. I can share your pain. Sleep next to me, and hurt no more.

Ventus was still sleeping. She could hear his steady breath even though she couldn't see him yet, his body hidden by the massive back of the throne. But there was another breath, somewhat more chaotic, although regular enough to indicate they were sleeping as well. Her weapon ready, she walked around the throne.

Ventus was still sleeping. But Ventus wasn't alone anymore. Sitting next to him, sleeping next to him, a boy whose face was familiar had his head resting on Ven's shoulder, a frown on his face. Aqua knew that face, but she also knew he wasn't who she might think he was. Instead, she recognized the black coat, the dark suit peeking under it.

Only two people had the ability to open this door. And of all the people that could exist in the worlds, Ventus had chosen to let Vanitas in. Why? Aqua had no idea. But now was her chance to get rid of him. She rose her blade, ready to strike down the enemy ; and then he mumbled something in his sleep. Realization struck her, stabbing her in the heart as she dropped her weapon. She wouldn't. She couldn't.

Instead, she sat down against the wall, facing them. She was suddenly tired, so tired. She knew she had some time left before they would come back for her - a nap wouldn't hurt. She needed to think. And there was a lot to think about.

Don't be sad, now. There's nothing to be sad about. Nothing to fear. You are safe. As long as we are together, you will be safe. Time has come for you to open your eyes. Don't worry, my time will come soon enough.

When Aqua opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was two golden eyes staring at her. Vanitas was awake, still sitting next to Ven. She summoned her weapon back to her hand as a reflex, but he wasn't moving. Instead of attacking, he spoke.

"You did not kill me. Why?"

Now that she knew Sora, she couldn't help but realise how similar their voices were. Sora's heart had influenced so many people.

"Had things been the other way around, I would have killed you," he continued upon her silence. She considered his words, then let a tiny smile slip out.

"And yet, you have not. I was sleeping just now. You could have killed me. Why didn't you?"

He stared at her in silence for a while. He then tilted his head. "I asked first."

"You were sleeping."

"That's not the real reason, though, is it? You are smarter than that. You could have lived with that."

She shook her head. "This is the first time I see your face." Somehow, he seemed annoyed by that.

"So what? You spared me because I look like your little Guardian Friend? Because I suddenly turned into a cute puppy?"

She slowly got up, stretching her sore back. It had not been the best sleeping position.

"You were having a nightmare, weren't you?" He glared at her but didn't answer. She looked down.

"You want to know why I did not kill you? Because all that time, I thought of you as a mere Unversed. I never even considered you could have feelings. But… Right now, while you were asleep, you were crying. You looked… Scared."

'Ventus… Stay…' His words were engraved in her memory. The tears streaming down his face, the quiet sobbing, his hand squeezing Ven's ; he had looked so vulnerable. So human. For the first time in her life, Aqua had understood that the being in front of her was someone. For the first time in her life, Aqua understood what it meant that he was Ventus's other half. He could have been Ventus.

"What could make you so sad, Vanitas?"

He tried to look angry and tough, but she noticed he had not let go of Ven's hand. She also noticed that Ven appeared to be squeezing back, and her heart started racing.

"I was having a terrifying dream where I would open my eyes and a creepy old lady would be staring at me. Worst part is it came true." But even his snarl lacked conviction. Whatever dream he had, he was still shaken. She knelt beside him.

"Are you alone?"

"Yes."

What Aqua had meant was 'Did the rest of your team come with you?'. Somehow, she felt his answer was that of a very different question. The way he was desperately clinging to Ven, the way he looked at him, the dark circles under his eyes ; she knew these symptoms too well. She had had them quite often, in the Realm of Darkness.

"You missed him, didn't you?"

"Twelve years is a long time."

"What now, though? What will you do?" She feared his answer, because she couldn't think of a single outcome that wouldn't involve fighting.

"I think… I think I've been lied to." She gasped at his words. He didn't sound aggressive, sarcastic, anything he usually was. He was just making a statement, his eyes averting her gaze. "They said that if we forged the X-Blade… I would stop hurting. That the pain would go away. They said it and I believed it, I believed any solution to feel better. But then… We forged the X-Blade indeed, and the pain didn't stop." He glanced up at Aqua, and she shivered when she saw his eyes - when she saw how broken he was.

"Vanitas, I-"

"I'm not telling you this to get your pity. I'm telling you this so that you'd understand why I am here. I have decided to run away from them, because they couldn't help me. And the second I decided I'd leave, Ventus guided me here. I can hear his voice, you know."

Aqua looked at him, then at Ven. Could she trust Vanitas?

"He says he misses your strawberry shortcake." Vanitas rolled his eyes. "A decade sleeping and all he thinks about is food?"

Aqua softly chuckled. The strawberry shortcake was actually a joke, from one day Aqua tried to bake a strawberry cake, but clumsily dropped it out of the oven, smashing it on the floor. Ventus had picked a tiny bit of the cake, and had told Aqua they just had a lot of tiny cakes now - shortcakes. No way Vanitas would have known that. She gently put her hand on Ven's cheek, and Ven mumbled something. Both Aqua and Vanitas gasped at his voice - this could be his very first words since he fell asleep.

"Protect...Vanitas."

Vanitas clicked his tongue, visibly annoyed, and Aqua looked at him.

"You know, I am not sure I can actually trust you. Truth is, I am not sure I want to trust you. But it looks like Ventus does, so I am going to give you a chance. I will talk of you to the others, and we will decide together. I cannot promise we will give you access to our HQ, or that you will fight by our side. Trust is something you earn. But first, I need to know what you want. What do you wish to do now?"

Vanitas frowned, thinking.

"What do I wish? I wish to stop hurting. But you have no solution for that, do you?"

She looked at her feet in silence. She did not. Until five minutes ago, she had no idea he could even feel pain. She heard him scoff.

"I'm kidding. Well, I'm not, but forget about that. I can't go back to the Nort, even if I wanted to. They would torture me until I'd tell them where Ven is, and they would keep me locked down - or dead. It appears I'm not a good enough vessel for the X-Blade anyway. So either I stay with you guys, tell you all I know about the white-haired freaks, and eventually fight with you ; or I stay hidden somewhere until the war is over and you've hopefully won. I could stay in there, the neighbors aren't too noisy. The choice is yours. I've spent long enough with these guys to know I don't want to go back. Even if you decide to kill me, I won't budge. Do whatever you want. I don't care anymore."

He sounded sincere - and maybe that's what convinced Aqua. Until his last words, she was still considering this could be a trap, a trap in which he had manipulated Ven. But now, she started to believe him. He really didn't mind dying. It would be better than returning with his former team. While she wouldn't call him a friend - maybe not even an ally, he wasn't a foe anymore.

"Let me talk with my friends. You can plead your cause to them as well. But for now, let's leave this place, okay? I think it is time for Ventus to sleep in a comfy bed."

"Do you think I could get one as well? Even for one night."

She suppressed a smile at his sudden interest. "We'll see what we can do. Let's go."

She carefully picked Ventus in her arms, and Vanitas finally let go of him. If anything, she could see he really cared about him, and that somehow scared her. What could have happened for him to change so much in the last decade?

Her hands being full, he opened the door, and the door after that. As soon as they stepped into the hall, the door facing them opened, revealing Riku and Sora. Could the timing be so perfect by coincidence? Aqua wondered if the Castle wasn't just playing with time instead.

Sora was holding some drawings in his hands, and Riku a box of crayons. Aqua greeted them with a smile. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"We found some clues!" Cheered Sora. "I still cannot remember her a lot, but… We found some drawings she left behind, and they make me want to know her even more. Look at this one. It's Roxas, Lea, and… I'm not sure who's that supposed to be, but it means she knew them. What about you? Looks like you found your friend!"

"Aqua, who is he, and why does he look like Sora?" Riku had summoned his keyblade and was pointing it at Vanitas. The boy showed his empty hands, taking a step towards Riku, making sure the tip of the blade was touching his chest. Riku frowned, and Aqua sighed.

"This is Vanitas, and… NO!" At the mention of his name, Sora had dropped the drawings, summoning his own weapon, and Aqua immediately called a barrier around Vanitas.

"And I was saying I would like you to listen to his story before attacking. If he was a threat right now, do you think I would casually walk with him?!"

"Could be a trap."

"Yes, well, he is under my protection until you have listened. Are we clear?"

Riku and Sora nodded, discarding their weapons, but still looking wary. Aqua rolled her eyes.

"Not here though. Castle, if you could…" The door behind them unlocked, and she pushed it. Behind was a room with a few sofas. "Lovely, thank you."

They listened carefully. Vanitas sounded a bit more confident this time, his sass and snarky comments back, but Aqua wouldn't forget how fragile he had looked in that room. It was just a facade, the ultimate protection he had when he was not wearing his mask. She also noticed how he was twisting his fingers - how a dark cloud sometimes started poking out of his chest, how he winced until it disappeared ; he was doing his best not to summon Unversed, and it was probably costing him a lot.

She had sat Ventus between the two of them, and let his head rest on Vanitas's shoulder. She was holding Ven's hand, and sometimes felt his fingers weakly squeeze hers. She hoped it was a good sign.

When Vanitas concluded, she realised she might be just as nervous as he was. She had no idea what she wanted the outcome of this to be. Despite how she acted, she still wasn't sure she could trust him.

Riku, Sora and Aqua isolated themselves to talk about the situation. Vanitas stayed on the couch, Ven peacefully sleeping with his head on his shoulder. Vanitas's hand were shaking a bit, and he couldn't explain why. He wasn't used to care about anything, why would this be any different? He couldn't go back to the Norts, not now, not after betraying them this hard. They wouldn't care about what Vanitas had learnt - they wouldn't negotiate, they would only force him to talk. But he thought he didn't care much about dying. Dying would mean being free, free of all of this. So why? Why was he somehow hoping they would trust him?

"If you want to wake up, Ventus, now's the perfect time." he whispered to the blonde head on his shoulder. "Y'know, try to convince them to spare me or something."

He couldn't be sure, but he felt like Ventus smiled a little. Usually, he would have hated this proximity. But while being close to Ventus usually made him even angrier, this day he felt more relaxed next to his other half. The pain felt bearable. The second he entered the room Ventus was in, his body had stopped trying to create Unversed, starting again only when the situation became stressful again.

He had missed Ventus, and the saddest part was that he had not known he had until he had found him. Now that he knew the XBlade wouldn't be his cure, his hate towards Ventus had lost all of it's meaning. He was still jealous, jealous of everything Ventus had and that he had not, jealous that Ventus learnt how to smile and laugh when all that he learnt was to hide his weaknesses, but he wasn't angry anymore. Not at Ven, at least.

All that I have, you can have too. A new life is starting. Happiness can be shared.

"Shut up with your cheesy lines. Right now, we don't even know what their decision is. They could decide that for your own good, I must vanish. They wouldn't be wrong."

The decision, they would soon know, though. The trio had stopped discussing his future and was coming back to him. He realised he had taken Ventus's hand in his own and was squeezing it hard.

"Vanitas, we have made up our minds." Aqua said gravely. Vanitas's head was spinning.

We will be your family, now. I can't wait to wake up and be a part of it. Until then, be kind with them, won't you?

Aqua gave him a tiny smile, that he couldn't tell whether it was natural or forced. He wasn't a smile expert. He glanced at Ven.

"You know I am never kind… but yeah, I will."

He was curious to find out the meaning of the word family.

At first this fic was a bit longer, with the whole Riku-Sora-Aqua talk and their final decision. I've decided that it might be better to cut that out, though?

This fic was inspired by the BBS Novel, in which it is clearly stated that Vanitas does share a strong bond with Ven, and that he missed him just as much as he hated him - and that his whole life was only suffering, his pain creating Unversed that he will destroy and pain would only come back stronger every time, until it broke him completely. This poor child ;A;