Inspired by the song, "Savin' Me" by Nickelback

Kingdom Hearts and all related characters belong to Disney and Square Enix

Vanitas was trapped. A heavy pillar, half crumbled had struck the desk which he had dove under to escape the collapse of the castle. He was injured and he had lost most of his strength now that Kingdom Hearts had been transformed into a doorway to light.

He gave up trying to free himself. Laying still, he was pinned with his stomach against the floor. Trapped, like before . . .

"Stop!"

Vanitas cried out. He couldn't afford to let those memories resurface. Not now. Not when he had failed again.

You were never meant to exist.

"Stoppit!" The voice was taunting him, fully enjoying his torment. Just as it had from the beginning.

You're a shadow, a copy.

"Leave me alone!"

You look like someone else, you sound like someone else. You were never 'you' you were always a dark reflection of him.

"No, I refuse to believe that!" Vanitas was angry, and he used it to try once more to free himself. It still didn't budge.

What are you? An ugly thing. A dark mass of hatred, jealousy and weakness without enough sense to let the light snuff you out.

"Just leave me alone."

Vanitas was pleading now, he had nothing left. He laid his head on the cold floor, waiting for the end to come. For his strength to give out. Waiting to fade back into darkness for the last time.

But you are alone. You've always been alone. You don't have any friends, you don't deserve them. You destroy everything you touch.

". . .Please. . ."

A tear rolled down his face.

"Well, okay, but only 'cause you said please."

His golden eyes snapped open. Standing a few feet from where Vanitas lay trapped, was Sora.

Vanitas forced a calm smile. "Heh, go ahead hero. You'll never get a better shot."

"Vanitas. . ."

The dark-haired being glared at his look-a-like. "Well? Spit it out."

Sora shook his head. "It could have ended differently," he said. "I didn't want to fight you, I never did."

Vanitas glared at him. "Oh shut up. What sane person wouldn't want to kill me off? Not only did I do some pretty horrible things a decade ago, but think about it. I'm pretty much an evil version of you. I could dress up like you, parade in front of your friends and stab them in the back without any trouble. They'd think I was you and died, believing their friend, their hero, their precious champion of light had betrayed them. Now, tell me you still don't want to kill me."

Sora was silent. A look of sadness on his face.

"Well? Answer me!" Vanitas snapped.

"I don't."

Sora's answer caught the dark being by surprise. "What?"

"I don't want to hurt you, if anything, I want to help you," Sora answered.

Anger fueled Vanitas enough to rise onto his elbows. "Spare me that bleeding heart of yours! I don't need your pity!" he growled.

"You went out fo your way to attack me, but you ignored everyone else. You did that out of jealousy. We look and sound alike, so you were jealous of what I have that you don't."

Vanitas looked stunned and unsure. Was Sora right? He never really needed a reason to do what he did, so why did it seem like Sora's words were striking a nerve? It felt like Sora was seeing right into his very core. It scared him.

"Hah, and why would I be jealous of you? You're a weak cry baby."

Sora sat down and crossed his legs so he could be eye level with Vanitas.

"Because I have something you don't and I'll bet you always wanted it."

Vanitas smirked. "You mean a heart? Pfft, yeah right. You can keep that bleeding eye-sore. I'll pass."

Sora shook his head. "You were alone for so long there is only one thing you could have wanted more than anything."

Vanitias's attitude vanished as he glared at Sora. His fists clenched tightly. If he were free, he would have slugged him.

"Friends."

"Not in a million years!" Vanitas roared. "You think I want some weak, rag-tag group following me everywhere I go? Or worse, being forced to follow them? Never! I'm perfectly happy being alone!"

Sora kept a clam smile of understanding on his face. "You said it yourself Vanitas. You're a dark version of me. That's how I know I'm right."

No response. Vanitas kept his eyes closed and his head turned to the side, Sora continued.

"If I were in your place, it wouldn't matter how evil I became or how bad things got. I would always want a friend."

Sora held out his hand in front of Vanitas.

The dark being opened eyes and looked at the hand before looking up at Sora. there was no hidden intentions. Sora was being honest and genuine.

"Come on," Sora said, "let me help you."

Vanitas was truly shocked by this kid's level of kindness. While he was a being of pure darkness, Sora was pure light.

"Feh, not like I can stop you," Vanitas replied.

Sora took that as a yes and went to work. With the Kingdom Key in hand he struck the pillar until it split and rolled off the desk.

Vanitas painfully crawled out, his legs felt crushed. Sora took Van's hand and threw his arm around his shoulder. Carefully, he began helping Vanitas out of the wreckage.

Vanitas could only look at Sora in astonishment. They were enemies. Why would he try to save him? Was what he said true? Did Sora really want to be his friend? But, that was,

He'll never accept you. He only wants to use you.

"Oh give it up already! Can't you see you lost?" Sora declared to the wind.

"Wait, you can hear it too?" Vanitas asked, shocked.

"Well, yeah. It's Xeanort. He's always been trying to mess with my head. Looks like he's been tormenting you for a lot longer though."

The dark-haired teen didn't know how to respond to that. If that was true then, he had heard what his darkest fears were. The very center of his suffering. And he still wanted to help?

"Come on, let's get you out of here. A good cure spell will take care of your injuries. I kinda used up all my magic during our fight."

Sora's kindness was radiant. Like stepping out of a dark room and looking up at a bright sunny sky.

Vanitas closed his eyes with a content smile. For once it wasn't laced with malice or cruelty. It was genuine.

"You and that bleeding heart of yours." he thought to himself.

"You know, Vanitas isn't my real name."

Sora looked at him as they kept walking, slowly out of the collapsed building.

"It was given to me by Xeanort. I never told anyone my real name."

"What, too embarrassing?" Sora joked.

"Natsu."

"Huh?" Sora asked.

"My name, it's Natsu. I gave it to myself."

"Why that name?"

Vanitas smirked. "It was a stupid idea, but it sounded good at the time. I was created in the summer time and it always felt like summer on Destiny Islands."

Vanitas glanced up at Sora. "Go ahead. Laugh. Tell me it was stupid."

But the key bearer didn't. "Actually it makes perfect sense. Natsu, it suits you."

"You're kidding." Vanitas replied flatly.

"You know," Sora continued as the exit came in sight. "It's kind of ironic."

"What do you mean?"

"What our names mean. I remember something I once heard a long time ago, but I can't for the life of me remember where."

"It'd be more helpful if you actually started making sense." Vanitas retorted.

"One summer, One sky, One destiny."

Vanitas blinked as he eyes slowly widened. He had once heard that too. It never made any sense to him and at the time he didn't really care, but as Sora pushed the door open and daylight cast its rays on the two, Vanitas smiled.

"It's kinda nice, having a friend."

~*~END~*~