Chapter 4: To Be or Not to Be, Isn't the Question
Vanitas had always hated it when he had to let others care for his own wounds. Then he has to hear their pity. He doesn't want anyone's pity. He doesn't need anyone's pity. Pity was for the weak he was taught. He is not weak. He'll never be.
But when his Master isn't around, he wants to let go and pity himself. Never had anyone ever experienced pain as much as he had on a daily basis. Especially when he trains against his own emotions, literally.
You're a fool, a worthless stupid fool. SLASH!
You'll never have anyone who truly loves you. You're only a tool. Not some human being. SLASH! SWING!
You are truly a Nobody. SLASH! CRASH! CRUNCH!
And he hated himself for that. He doesn't want to call himself weak, but in the eyes of others, it's too true then the gilded color of his eyes displaying his darkness. How can he fight against those who have stolen his happiness away when he himself, who should be the definition of fear, was weak?
How pathetic.
At least one person believes in him and his strength. That he was thankful for.
"You have to stop thinking like that. It will get you nowhere if you think so dark. It will only hurt you." She said. Swirling
"Yeah, yeah and my eyes will turn a bright sea blue. I'll be fine but look out for yourself too. You're all I have." He replied with concern.
"I know, so don't get all mopey and don't do anything risky, Vani."
"You'll never stop calling me 'Vani' are you?"
"Nope."
"Fine, but not too often please?"
"Can't promise that." She chuckled as Vani groaned. He shook it off and laughed as well.
"Even if you annoy me, you still make me smile no matter what."
Riku wasn't having the most fun really. Usually, he'd have fun and relax while beating the living darkness out of Heartless. But there's so many across town. It's not like Holl-Radiant Garden's problem but it's irregular. Holy prism windmill 'cause there's so many Neoshadows. At least Snow was quiet and did the share of fights. But something had bugged him sincere first Heartless he smashed.
"So, where did Corena go? She'd be safe wherever she went right?" Riku asked carefully.
"Honestly, I don't know. With the condition this town is in, I'd probably say no." Snow replied. A swing of his iced staff and five Neoshadows dispersed into dust. "She's a big girl, though. I reckon she'll be fine."
"I hope you're right..."
Riku, being the more responsible and sensible of his friends, tended to be a bit of a mother or how Lea puts it, a BRO hen. Of course, he would be seeing how stupidly attractive they are to the Heartless and Nobodies. He had to look after Kairi since she was a walking target. She became an even bigger one after learning how to fight with a Keyblade. The red head was his little sister in a way and it would kill him to see her get trampled under a giant monster's foot or in the hands of darkness. Sora, on the other hand, tended to be a big boy once in a while, yet he awestruck Riku time to time with his selfless antics. He can be an automatic ulcer creator sometimes, but Sora was a goofball made for Kairi. Plus, Riku, Mickey, and Minnie ship SoKai very hard.
Plus, Riku, Mickey, and Minnie ship SoKai very hard. Riku placed a bet on Kairi's birthday (on April first) to the end of summer. Mickey had November to January while Minnie was hoping Sora's birthday (March third) to the end of February.
But Riku also has a tendency to be too worried about a certain person- Corena. Long story short, he felt more human around her. Yes, Kairi and Sora are his sources of light, but sometimes they wouldn't understand his hardships and he doesn't want to burden the royal mice. She understood him. She was there for him during his battles within himself; not against Ansem, but his own inner turmoil. It made his days roaming through the dead of the night easier and more enjoyable knowing she was would accompany him. However like Sora, she lives on a highwire on top of a bottomless pit. She could give him a heart attack any time of the day without knowing. One way or another she will be the reason he'll collapse.
"Hey, look out stupid!"
Riku peered out of the corner of his eye and spotted a Neoshadow ready to slice his skin from his muscle. It only took him a second to dodge but it was so careless and unlike him to not see an attack him. Corena wasn't even here and she was screwing up him up already with a thought.
"If you were thinking of her, I swear I'll take care of the stupid Heartless first then you!" Snow threatened. Oh Corena, she really did screw him over in more ways than one. "I'll try to revive you and kill you again if it was something rated PG-13 and up! I swear on my house's will I will!"
"I'm worried about her and everyone else! How can I not think of her in a situation like this?! I bet you were thinking of Serah and your honeymoon with her." Riku rebutted with no shame.
"Shut. Up. One more word and I'll follow my promise."
Taking the threat seriously, he saluted to the furious blonde and counter-attacked another Neoshadow. The situation was getting out of hand. They need to clear the place of Heartless now. A child's scream pierced through the sky suddenly from the other end of town.
"No, it couldn't be. Riku, go towards the east end of town. Check on this local pilot's house, a child there is in danger and maybe another as well. There's a shop nearby that Corena might be working at currently. Save them then I'll kill you." Snow directed with crazy anger and love. He loved his adopted sister and the little children on the other end of town. He was crazy protective like Riku to defend the center of town by himself.
"You know if you get hurt, Serah and Corena will kill you before you kill me."
"I realize that. Now go before I change my mind."
Riku dashed towards the sunrise as Snow smirked to the crowd of Heartless.
"I guess we are more similar than I'd expect we are. Then I guess I should welcome you back to Daybreak Town." Snow said a Shadow as Riku ran to the rescue.
"Stay behind me, Dajh!" Corena cried. She carried a little girl with bright red, curly pigtails. She was unconscious from a fallen crate a little Shadow pushed over. Thank her lucky stars the crate was small and filled with little toys. But the irony of it all was Fang ordered those toys to hand out to the town children. A special Moogle doll with a cute baby blue jacket holding a pouch full of little bracelets and a matching bead necklace for poor Vanille was what had hit her on the head.
There were many Heartless in town and it scared him.
"Cori, I'm scared." The little boy cried. His friend looked pale with a bump on her head the size of a strawberry. She looked dead, and he doesn't look dead things. He doesn't like to be alone either. What will he do without his best friend?
"Everything will be all right. I promise. Vanille is still breathing, see? She's only asleep from the running and the mean Heartless." Corena explained.
"When will she wake up?"
Both of their hearts were beating in time together as hard as a bass drum.
"Soon, little one. I promise. And you know I hate breaking promises." said Corena with a wink. Dajh was still young but he can hear the faltering reassurance in her statement. "Dajh. I need you to be calm, okay?"
"Okay."
"Good. Now run back to your house and lock the door. Hold Vanille, I'll follow."
"But Corena-"
"Stay calm and everything will be fine. Now, go!" She handed over Vanille. It was a stupid risk but a 50/50 risk of life nonetheless. "Now, go!"
Light shone from her hand.
"You can hurt my heart, my soul, all of my physical matter I don't care! But hurting my family, especially those so vulnerable, will be death." Corena lifted her Keyblade to the skyline, letting some Shadows slice themselves. " To be or not to be, isn't the question. The question is who's first?"
