Can't Be What Isn't Real

I lean against the wall in the living room as Ventus storms up to his parents, "He's my clone?!"

Cloud's eyes widen and he stammers. Tifa sighs and crosses her arms, glaring at me for a moment before addressing her son, "Yes, he is."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?!" he demands.

I can feel the betrayal and anger fueling him, and I'm beginning to feel overwhelmed by his emotions again. Still, I don't move. Cloud puts a hand on Ven's shoulder, "We were going to tell you."

"When?" Ven steps back, "Why do you keep lying to me?! You didn't tell me I was sick, you didn't tell me Vanitas was a clone for several years, and now I find out he's not only my clone, but you made him to keep me alive?!"

Cloud sighs, "Calm down, Ven. Let us explain."

Ven crosses his arms, glaring, "Fine. Explain how you could do that to him?"

Tifa crosses her arms, "And what exactly do you think we did to him?"

"You told me he was going to be my brother, but he's just.. Just.." He shakes and I speak in my dead voice for the first time in years, "Just your fail safe?"

The pure shock in the room creates such tension I feel like I'm going to suffocate in it. I stare at them, blank-faced with crossed arms, "What? That's what I am."

"Stop talking like that," Tifa demands.

I let my eyes return to their original "dead" setting, "Why should I? This is how I really am. What I really am."

I feel Ven's discomfort, but I ignore it as I continue in my "factory" setting, "I think it's time he knows the truth. I'm not a person, I don't have feelings. Happiness, sadness, I don't feel that. I'm not like you."

I smirk, "Hell, I don't even have real organs."

"Vanitas, stop." Cloud warns.

Ven's discomfort turns to fear but I keep talking, "I don't technically exist, I don't have fingerprints. As a clone, I'm not allowed to get a job, eat at restaurants, or drive a car. If not for your parents and Dr. Hikari, I wouldn't even be able to go to school. That's why I hide my eyes. That's why I pretend to be human by copying the feelings that flow into me from you. They flow into me, but I don't really feel them, not like you do. I mimic you, Ven. I can pretend because I copy you."

Ventus turns to me fully, "Vanitas.. You.. You are real."

I shake my head, "No, I'm not. I'm just around to keep you alive. It's all I'm programmed to do."

Ven shakes his head, and the fear returns to discomfort, "No, I refuse to believe that. You may copy me, but you're not.. Nothing. What you do, how you act and talk? That's not me, that's you, Vanitas. You have your own personality. You're real, on some level."

I close my eyes, going back to my copied voice, "That's nice of you to say, but it doesn't change anything. You can't be what isn't real, Ven. I'm a clone. I'll never be human. I'm never going to be a real person."

The anger Ven felt with his parents has evaporated, now he just feels bad for me. Which in turn makes me feel bad for me, and I don't like it. I open my eyes, bringing the "life" back to them and I smile lightly, "But I appreciate what you said."

I turn away, heading for my room, "I'm going to bed."

I go to my room and take the sleeping pills off the dresser, opening the bottle. Ventus stands in my doorway, "Don't."

I look at him, raising an eyebrow, "Don't go to sleep?"

"Don't.. Overdose yourself." he replies.

I tilt my head, "What?"

He stares back at me, "I just.. Have this feeling.. Just.. Don't, okay?"

I smile lightly, "I don't even think that's possible, Ven. You have to have organs before overdosing can shut them down."

He frowns, "But.. Don't you have to have organs for pills to work?"

"These are specifically made to work on clones for that exact reason." I reply, popping a sleeping pill in my mouth and swallowing it quickly, "Now leave me alone so I can go to sleep."

He nods slowly and leaves. I close the door and go to my bed. I lie down and close my eyes, pulling the cover over myself. I feel the familiar sinking feeling from when Ven pulls me into sleep, but this is different. This is colder, and there's nothing but darkness. I open my eyes when light shines through my window. I cough and roll over as my insides tighten like they had at school. I lean over the bed and throw up blood on the carpet. I groan and push myself up.

I rub my eyes, looking around. Why didn't Ven wake me up for school? I wince, feeling my insides tighten again. Right, I'm on sick leave. I lean over the bed and cough up more blood onto the floor. I get off the bed and grab my pills off the dresser for the phantom symptoms. I take one, then leave the room. I walk into the living room and I frown when I see Dr. Hikari sitting on the couch. I cross my arms, "What are you doing here?"

She stands, looking at me with wide eyes, "You're finally awake, I've been trying to wake you for the past hour."

"Why?" I ask.

"It's Ventus," she states, "He was rushed to the hospital this morning."