The light is nearly blinding, but looking away is not an option.

It comforts and brightens in no particular pattern. I've been with this light for as long as I can remember, and although I know I'm not that light, I know I belong here. He sees my darkness and he appreciates it in the same way I do his light. Small as I am in comparison to those happy feelings of joy and friendship, I'm still very important to him because we are one. He couldn't be without me-

Just as I couldn't be without him. We're blurry and mixed, sometimes it's unclear if I'm basking in his light or shying away from it, but I suspect it might be both, which works for me just fine. Just as long as we stay together. We need to stay here, like this, forever...but something's happening and I can't stop it. I'm not strong enough to protect us, myself.

"Please, don't do this, Master! I'm not strong enough!" We beg Xehanort to stop the heartless, but he doesn't listen. Our balance is perfect, why can't he see that? We don't need to embrace the darkness any more, I'm already here, one part of the whole that makes us Ventus. We don't need the x-blade.

The heartless that have us surrounded take lunges at us until we can no longer dodge.

Suddenly, I feel a stabbing pain in my chest. His light is dimming and dispersing, leaving me with nothing but my own emanating darkness to comfort me as I feel myself being ripped in half, the essential pieces of myself being divided up like halves of a paupu fruit to be handed out and eaten apart from each other. The darkness overwhelms me, I'm drowning. I'm drowning. My emotions are rising from my throat and I scream in horror as the despair burns through my chest at the loss of my light. All breath is lost at the startling imbalance I find within myself as I'm tugged in all directions.

I feel so lost and scared, and...angry. I lash out at the black tendrils that are attempting to chain me like an animal, biting, kicking, screaming, anything I can do to make them let go.

But they do not let me go. The anxiety grips at my insides and eats through any light I had left as I realize that there is no escape from the hollow shadow I have become. It isn't fair, I deserve to be whole, and now...I'm alone. Completely and utterly alone in the void.

I sink in on myself, curling into a ball and hugging my knees as though they would provide the same comfort the light once brought to me. It doesn't help, it makes it worse. The tendrils curl around my balled figure, pushing me into an orb and crushing me until the pain forces to realize that I now have a physical body that can be hurt.

When the black finally releases it's hold, I stretch out, every muscle in my new body aching from the strain of my consciousness. I see my body on the ground through the eyes of someone else, and there are too many thoughts inside of me to decide on one to focus upon. I look...pathetic. My blue eyes look so empty from an outside perspective, did I always appear so weak?

Master Xehanort ignores my body laying on the ground, instead turning to the new me. "Empty creature from Ventus riven...to you, the name Vanitas shall be given."

Not knowing what else I could do but to obey my teacher, I respond.

"Yes, Master."

((Author's Note: This fic was inspired by the Steven Universe Character Garnet and her two halves Sapphire and Ruby.))