Chapter Eleven: The Key of Destiny
After the insanity of that week, the next two were relatively quiet. They spent a good deal of that Saturday in and out of the police station, Riku mostly separate from Vanitas and Lea's conversations. His raven-haired friend still was wearing bloodied clothes, and Riku hadn't needed the explanation about faeborn blood to realize what it was. So Riku remained excluded, his mind buzzing unpleasantly.
They didn't get home until late, almost midnight, and with barely a word Vanitas said goodnight and disappeared upstairs. Riku would've liked to talk about the situation, about Leon, about how he felt about everything, but the other just wouldn't give him the chance to do so. It was pretty clear the raven was shaken by the current events- having to carry a dead body whom you knew was close to people you knew, even if you weren't, was sure to leave a lasting mark on a person's mind. But as the days passed, Vanitas continued to avoid the conversation, to the point where Riku, extremely reluctantly, decided to drop it.
Both Tifa and Vincent weren't teaching at school, their regular teachers coming back to their classes, stating a 'family emergency' for the others. Riku's stomach twisted uncomfortably at the statement, not sure how to deal with the current situation.
Although he was fully aware of mortality, the reminder- even though it wasn't someone he knew- came as nervewracking. Because it was like a pronouncement, nudging at the silverette, that people don't last. Life doesn't last. Even vampires could meet their end, but were less likely to do so, and in the end natural death did not exist for them. Every person in that classroom had the ability to die from sickness or old age, rather than violence and aggression; Riku didn't have that. Not anymore. His death, when it did come, would be violent and painful, just like Aerith's was.
It was not a pleasant thought under any circumstances, and it essentially silenced Riku as his mind turned over the thoughts and the situation, not sure how to approach the issues facing him. He felt lost, floating in a midpoint, not sure of his direction or his place in the world. What was he?
It was a difficult question to answer and essentially drove Riku in circles. As a result, he and Vanitas would speak only superficially- discussions about dinner and homework, about issues that didn't really matter. Or, perhaps, issues that only mattered to Vanitas, because he was still part of that world. Part of the light, while Riku belonged in the darkness, the world of longevity, of fugitives, of viewing the dominant species of the earth as a food source rather than a community he belonged to.
Cloud and Leon had, essentially, vanished. Neither hide or hair of the pair was seen- and inventory revealed Cloud was no longer staying at Aris's house. Had he taken up Leon's long standing offer of a mattress or a couch, or had he run? Or...had something happened to him?
He could almost feel the smack on the head and the scolding of 'hypocrite' from Vanitas, ringing in his ears. Perhaps he could, given that the other could feel his emotions. And honestly, deep down he knew, somehow, no harm would come to Cloud via Leon's hand. Maybe by Lea's, judging by the man's annoyed huffing about having a door slammed in his face over a 'legitimate question', while flicking a lighter on and off.
Honestly, knowing Lea it probably wasn't a legitimate question. He was a hard man to describe and tended to accidentally annoy everyone he came across, especially Aris.
They found out that Aerith's funeral had been scheduled for the Sunday the following week. Neither Riku or Vanitas went, or were invited- they didn't know her, after all. The Monday following, however, Vanitas got a call from Selphie, asking the pair over without much explanation. Hayner and his gang hadn't been invited, and the blonde was actually rather sullen about it.
"One time I could go, she doesn't invite me" he huffed, before giving the two a sharp look. "What happened to Leon's face, anyway?"
"Eh?" the two chimed in unison.
"How'd you know about that?" Riku asked.
"I saw him at Gold Saucer last week, with a blonde guy. Kicked my bum in triple triad."
"Must've been Cloud" said Vanitas, folding his arms. "Right before Sephiroth showed up."
The group shuddered. The newspapers were still ablaze with Aerith's death and the implications it could have, with the tabloids finally speaking about the supernatural as though it actually existed; too bad it was under the circumstances where they might be considering mass genocide of said communities. Riku shivered privately at the thought, before a wave of shock rolled over him. He hasn't realized he'd really started seeing himself as part of those communities yet, but apparently he had. It came as a surprise, and just fed the water wheel of questions spinning around in the teenager's head.
The trip to Selphie's that afternoon was quiet- at least, spoken word wise. Vanitas had stuck in an old cassette tape of AC/DC (he was lucky his car even had a cassette player) and thus spent a majority of the trip silently head banging and playing an invisible as of drums. Perhaps getting him a set of said instrument would help him take out his moods on something productive.
When they arrived, Vanitas was the one who knocked on the door. Selphie opened it, giving them an uncharacteristically small smile.
"Hey. Woah, what'd you do to your eyes?"
"Got 'em changed" Vanitas pronounced proudly. "And it's Vanitas permanently now."
"Really? Well, whatever floats your boat I guess" she said cheerfully, skipping inside the building, but the two knew her well enough to know when something was on her mind. The atmosphere in the lounge room was sombre. Everyone besides Leon was there, Zell and Irvine glued to the console as usual. Snacks were arranged in delicate piles on the table, and had barely been touched- always a bad sign. Quistis and Rinoa were seated on the back-most sofa, the latter girl's eyes slightly downcast. Already knowing this was not going to be the most pleasant of visits (they didn't even know about Riku, for pete's sake, let alone Leon's true disposition), the silverette took a seat on the second sofa, the one Leon had sat on during their last visit. Vanitas sat next to him, plucking up a handful of gummi candy.
"How are you?" Rinoa asked, giving them a small smile. Riku turned his head down slightly, and Vanitas shrugged.
"It's been a…strange few weeks" he admitted, chewing on the end of a snake thoughtfully. "You? Something's up."
The raven haired-girl nodded, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear. "Yeah…I went to Aerith's funeral yesterday."
"You knew her?" Riku asked, inwardly wincing at the use of past tense but knowing it was necessary, no matter how painful. Rinoa sighed, tucking her arms beneath her legs. She was wearing her blue duster today, but the colour did nothing to liven up the mood of the room.
"No. I was brought along as Leon's moral support" she admitted. "Aerith was like his sister, and it wasn't that long ago he lost Zack, either…"
She trailed off, a small sigh escaping her lips as she shook her head. "He told me some things yesterday."
Suddenly blue-grey eyes were locked on Riku's aquamarine, and he felt a distinct lump form in his throat. They held an intensity he wasn't prepared for and knew, in that moment, that Leon had 'returned the favour'.
There was no doubt in the silverette's mind that he'd told her he was a vampire. How much else he'd told her of, he had no clue. But those eyes had wariness and a challenge in them, speaking silently at him. No-one could deny Rinoa's will and heart, and though they were usually on the good side of such intensity, Riku now found himself on the wrong end. Unconsciously, he shivered.
"But even so…I think he might make it through this" she said. She'd turned away now, and a brief flicker of hope was spawning in her eyes. "He's allowing himself to share his grief, acknowledge he's not the only one in his position."
Selphie smiled a little at this. "That's great to hear."
"Mhm" said Quistis, nodding. "With Zack, he closed off entirely…"
The mutual agreement rang through the room, everyone nodding. Vanitas eventually smirked, leaning forward.
"So…on less depressing subjects. I'm looking mighty fine, eh?"
Riku clipped him across the back of the head, earning a satisfying yelp. Vanitas's eyes narrowed at the smirk on Riku's face, the girls giggling away.
"I like the eyes. They're a nice touch" said Rinoa, her previous mood fading a bit. "Did Riku pay for them?"
"Like I'd agree to that" Riku said hotly. Vanitas just grinned and shook his head.
"Nah. I was going to use my 'pocket money'," he said this while making a quotation gesture, "but my cousin paid for 'em. I brought him along since I needed an adult to sign for me."
"Eh? You have a cousin 'round here?" Irvine asked from the couch. "I thought all your family lived elsewhere."
Vanitas shrugged. "My dad called him down to deal with a 'work incident'." Again with the quotation marks. "He's a great dude."
Rinoa raised an eyebrow at him suddenly. "…Blonde, spiky-hair?" she asked, gesturing upwards. "A few inches taller than you?"
"Huh? Yeah."
Irvine suddenly paused the game, ignoring an indignant protest from Zell. He did yelp at the punch the other laid down, but still faced over the seat to look at the rest of the group. "His name Cloud, by any chance?"
Quistis made a small 'oh' sound. "Of course. With hair like that, there's no doubt they're related."
The silverette's eyebrows shot upward. "…how many of you have met him since we were last here? Didn't only Quistis and Leon know him last time?"
"Yeah, but I met him a few weeks back" said Selphie. "I invited him over to a drinking game at Leon's place."
"Oh, that must've been that night they-" said Vanitas, before covering his mouth, uttering a hasty 'never mind'.
Irvine raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "The night they what, Van?"
"Nothing!" he squeaked. "They'll kill me!"
The brunette adopted a sly smirk. "Naughty, naughty Leon. I knew something was up when they both turned beet-red when I mentioned Leon was in the closet. So, Vanitas, third base? Second? C'mon, give us the play-by-play."
"Like Cloud gave me the play-by-play!" Vanitas protested, through his hands in the air. "I'm his cousin, not his therapist!"
Rinoa giggled a little at this. "I'm actually kind of curious too, I admit. I saw them together a few weeks back…I think the Wednesday after his…injury."
She looked at Riku again, and he quickly turned his head down, guilt rushing through his veins. Damn that girl for being able to cut so deep, seriously.
"C'mon, tell us!" insisted Selphie, punching his arm playfully. "I bet he didn't even really tell you, after all!"
"This isn't information that's meant to be shared, though!" Vanitas mumbled, pressing the tips of his index fingers together. "I don't wanna do that to Cloud or Leon."
Zell sat up from behind the couch. "Well, 'course they didn't make a home-run, right?"
Vanitas turned beet red and Riku felt his own jaw slip open. "They…didn't? Surely not?"
There was a stunned, pregnant tension in the room. Waiting for Vanitas to even confirm or deny the question hanging in the air. Did Leon and Cloud…do it? And, in extension, the real question that was of importance to the group- had Leon, really, finally, truly lost his v-card, and thus the group's last real weapon to dig at him with?
His next words were tiny yet somehow deafening, sending the room's occupants reeling. "…They did. About two weeks ago, on Sunday."
"Wahoo! We should throw Leon a dehymenation party!" Selphie shouted, and Irvine covered his eyes with his hand.
"Selphie, guys don't have a hymen."
"A penetrated anus party!"
"Ohgodwhy" Riku whispered, placing his head in his hands and wishing his was anywhere but here right now. Thank god neither Leon or Cloud were anywhere nearby, or he'd be fearing for the group's lives. Yeah, he had first-hand experience with the temper of the pair, and this would not be looked upon favourably.
"I wish Leon had actually done what I'd asked first" said Quistis. A shake of her head and a sigh followed. "Where does their relationship stand at this point?"
"I'd say…just beyond platonic" said Rinoa. "They were…holding hands at the funeral. Unless they're simply adverse to public displays, which could just as easily be the case."
"Well, I think they were drunk when it happened, so they might be taking it slow now?" Vanitas suggested, previous embarrassment forgotten. "I got the feeling Cloud liked him, but he seemed more eager to get to know Leon than to screw him again."
"They were so hammered that Sunday they probably can't remember it anyway" said Selphie, smacking her fist into her palm. "They were gettin' kinda cuddly too, now that I think about it."
Riku exhaled, rubbing his hair. "Maybe we should…not gossip about them behind their back, huh?"
The room went still, suddenly realizing that this was Leon they were talking about, and even if he did cope with most of their gossiping, he probably wouldn't appreciate this aspect. Rinoa tutted, but followed the trend- i.e, dropping the subject.
Unfortunately, to Riku's horror, she brought up something else.
"So, Riku, there's something you need to tell us, isn't there?" she asked, her eyes boring into his own quite intensely. The shivers came back, making him feel like he was being turned inside out.
The silverette attempted to return her sharp stare, though he couldn't help a nervous lick of his lips. They had gone horribly dry, as though Rinoa's gaze was sucking the moisture out of him.
"I don't know what you're talking about" he said, trying to keep the edge out of his voice.
She smirked, challenge glinting in her eyes, and Riku instantly knew he was doomed. Rinoa was a force of nature.
"Are you sure? Leon did tell me, you know. In case that was an attempt to test the waters- more or less, I called him out on lying about that wound on his face."
The silverette froze, gripping the couch tightly. The rest of the group were intrigued, now, looking at Riku for an explanation. He fidgeted uncomfortably, his instincts ringing with the dangerous situation and looking for an exit.
"Lay off."
Riku glanced over to see a nasty look in Vanitas's eyes. The raven had folded his arms and was giving Rinoa a determined stare, one she met with equal intensity.
"Or what?"
"Or I'll make you regret it."
"Vanitas" said Riku, placing his hand on the other's arm. "It's alright."
"No, it isn't. This isn't the way to approach the situation, Rinoa."
"Oh? Then I assume you were subtle about it?" she asked, and Vanitas's mouth puckered.
"Not exactly-"
Riku sighed, tilting his head downward. "I'm not getting out of this. Maybe it's better to come clean now anyway."
"Are you sure?" his friend asked, and he nodded. Well, at least this way it wouldn't be revealed in a bad situation- which was probably Rinoa's reason for being so confrontational.
The silverette sighed reluctantly. "A few weeks back...I...I got..."
He swallowed, rubbing his hair. His stomach was thing itself into painful knots, making it hard for him to so much as think.
"I was bitten by a vampire."
The group stared at him for a few seconds. Selphie just looked plain confused, while the other four were glancing between the two teens on their couch.
"But its daylight outside" Selphie protested.
"I'm not a proper vampire yet. I was Marked...which is something like being turned halfway."
"So...you drink blood?" Irvine asked, and Riku hung his head.
"Yes" he whispered.
Zell raised his eyebrows. "Do you have pointy teeth?"
"Sometimes."
"Ooo! You should go as yourself to Halloween!" Selphie said cheerfully. "And Vanitas can go as a werewolf 'cause of the eyes and all."
"You...you're all weird" Riku said flatly. "I'm a vampire."
"And? So's Leon. And isn't that Cloud guy-"
Vanitas shook his head.
"Huh?" said Rinoa. "Are you sure?"
"Cloud says he isn't" the raven said with a shrug. "And he's been getting really pissed off whenever it's mentioned."
"That would be because he's either dense or in denial" said Irvine, flicking his hat.
"He doesn't read vampire to me" said Riku. "I think that pretty much ends the discussion."
The group looked between each other.
"I didn't think he was a vampire either" said Selphie. "He seemed pretty normal to me. I dunno where you two are getting it from."
"Hm" said Rinoa, looking pensive. "Maybe not. Thinking about it now, I'm not sure why I thought that. Maybe because Leon was there?"
"Maybe" said Irvine, but he didn't look entirely convinced. A similar look lingered in Vanitas's face, but the raven, as with everything else this week, didn't discuss it.
Their trip home was just as quiet, with Vanitas spending a majority of it playing with a spaceship he'd made out of gummi. How he'd managed it, Riku had no idea. He highly suspected Vanitas just pretended to be stupid so nobody expected much out of him. That way when he did have a moment, it took everyone by surprise and he got to revel in the glory.
When they got home, the house was dark and quiet. Riku let out a long sigh and threw himself onto the couch despite his body's protests; vampire instinct was getting twitchy and irritable again. Not hungry, he realized. Not really- this irritability was like an itch. He itched to do something with himself, to...
Riku sat up, walking over to the cupboard that held the hunting equipment.
"Are you alright?" Vanitas asked. A low, angry noise escaped Riku's throat as he sheathed Soul Eater. He needed to hunt. He needed that rush of adrenaline, the thrill of the kill. The smell of blood that teased at his nostrils and made his head spin with hunger.
His skin prickled uncomfortably, as he became acutely aware of his surroundings. The pristine house that smelt unloved and unlived in, the perfumes of a furniture store still lingering. The scent of coffee still sitting untended in the kitchen, left in order for them not to be late to school that morning.
And, most dominantly, most importantly, the thick, heady smell of human.
Why risk sunburn when he could get what he wanted right here?
His mouth started watering, his brain fogging over with instinct he couldn't control. The silverette a tongue darted out to lick dry lips, as red eyes locked with yellow.
"Fuck" the other whispered, and moved to get away. Riku, however, was much faster, tackling him in a blur of silver.
The other's foot lashed out, connecting squarely with Riku's jaw and sending him reeling backward. Recovering quickly, he snarled at his prey, lunging forward again in an attempt to subdue him.
The elder had, however, trained the raven-haired boy well. He aimed for Riku's face with a tell-timed punch that sent Riku reeling again and gave him enough of a reprieve to jump backward a few inches. Although the silver-haired male caught up quickly, Vanitas had now jumped in front of a window and took the opportunity to throw it open, filling the room with bright light.
Riku hissed, covering his eyes as pain shot through them, snarling angrily as he focused his other senses to find his prey. He didn't need his eyes, after all. And Vanitas's scent was the one he knew best.
He listened for a few moments, before jumping with inhuman speed. He heard a high-pitched shriek of surprise, pain shooting through his nose as something hard- his forearm?- connected with his face, but his claws had already grasped the other's shoulders and was sending them tumbling to the floor.
The smaller boy wasn't about to just give up on the fight; he kicked and he yelled, punching and kicking as hard as he could. The taller vampire balanced out his weight, using just touch to pin the other to the floor and digging his claws in. The sweet, heady smell of blood filled his nostrils as his prey let out a yelp of pain, clawing frantically at the carpet and trying to get some purchase, some way out of Riku's hold.
He opened his eyes, surveying the yellow that was glaring furiously at him.
"Fucking vampire" he hissed lowly.
He blinked, deciding to ignore that comment. His face was mere inches from the others, and he could see the raven's neck from here, luring him into its embrace, tempting him to drink.
He lowered his head, moving into the crook between his head and shoulder. The other's pulse was racing wildly, his breath raspy and laboured from struggle.
Riku opened his mouth, preparing to bite deeply, but was stopped short when someone strong- much stronger than he was- yanked him backward. Before he could so much as let out a frustrated and furious snarl, a heavy hand had connected with his temple.
As he blacked out his conscious mind rushed back to him in an instant, and the last thing on his mind as everything went black was the disgust and fear in Vanitas's eyes.
He awoke to a throbbing headache some time later, in a dark room that felt familiar but he didn't recognize.
It took him a few seconds to recall what had happened, but when he did he shot up, making an anguished noise as he frantically looked around the room.
Two pairs of blue eyes glowed in the din of the room.
"Oh, you're awake" said a voice, which Riku recognized as Ven's. "Come on."
The second nodded, standing and following the figure out of the room, leaving Riku feeling confused. Who was that?
He put his head in his hands, feeling his fingers tremble against his skin. He'd hurt Vanitas. He couldn't remember how badly, but it was enough to make him bleed. Thank his stars he'd trained him well and he'd practiced with Zell, or maybe he'd be-
Riku shook his head, choking back the lump in his throat and pretending his eyes weren't watering. This was the ultimate betrayal. He didn't want to face Vanitas again, not after that. He doubted he could.
The door opened again, and Ven stepped back inside, handing over a blood bag. Riku swallowed, looking at it with guilt in his eyes.
"Drink up" he said. "You're back at the manor. I brought you here after..."
He trailed off, and Riku swallowed, tearing off the corner of the bag and drinking deeply from it. He finished it off, wiping his lip with his thumb, as the door swung open again. The flat-side of a fist connected with his head and he yelped, looking up to see Vanitas- with blue eyes. They were set into a deep scowl, though worry was set deep in them. Over what, Riku didn't know, since he'd been the one who'd hurt him.
"Why are your eyes blue?" Riku blurted out. Of all the things to ask, really? Not are you ok, or I'm sorry, but why are your eyes blue? He was going to win all of the awards for being the best friend of the year, surely.
"They didn't like the Cure spell Ven used" he said, looking a bit peeved. "It didn't do much either. He owes me a new set."
"Yeah, the moment they start employing vampires and keep the shops open til 3am" Ven replied flatly.
Riku swallowed, glancing up and down his friend's form. There were several bandages up and down his arms, even around one of his wrists.
"Is it even safe for you to be here?" Riku asked.
"Safer than it is at home, apparently" Vanitas scoffed. "You and Terra are the only problems."
"But Terra was the one who knocked me out" said Riku.
"Actually, it wasn't" said Ven. "I was dropping off your blood tonight because I wanted to speak to Vanitas."
"Mhm" said the raven, folding his arms. "I have to go out for a bit, so I'll see you in about half an hour."
"Wait" said Riku, a desperate look appearing on his face. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright" said Vanitas quietly. "I'm not badly injured, I've had worse. I knew from the outset this kind of thing could happen. Don't stress over it."
"But-"
"No buts. See you later, Ri" he said sternly, before exiting the room. The silverette let out a long sigh, looking at his feet.
"I don't deserve him" he muttered. Ven sighed.
"He's determined to stay by you, though. Keep in mind that it's unlikely that he doesn't feel as strongly about you as you do him."
"But what if I hurt him again?" Riku muttered. "What if I kill him, or turn him? I couldn't live with myself."
Ven exhaled, looking pensive. "The ability to deal with this kind of thing is one you'll have to learn, Riku. There will be many things you regret and many things you cannot control. Moving on is the most important skill in a vampire's repertoire."
"You're not helping" Riku hissed, folding his arms.
"Well, I tried" he muttered, shrugging. "Come out when you're feeling a bit less miserable, alright?"
"Mph" was Riku's only retort, and the older vampire left, shutting the door behind him quietly.
With a lethargic sigh the teen extracted himself from the bedsheets and slipped out of the room, finding himself in another hallway. Some kind of music was playing from another room- it sounded like a...piano, a violin, and some other kind of instrument. Some kind of woodwind.
He followed the music notes flowing down the halls to a slightly ajar door, which he pushed open just enough for him to peer inside.
Ven, Terra and Aqua were playing instruments as Eraqus oversaw. Ven was playing an instrument Riku didn't recognize, his fingers flowing smoothly over the length of it. Terra, surprisingly, was on the piano, his large hands giving him the ability to hit multiple keys at the same time, his eyes closed in concentration. Meanwhile, Aqua's arm moved gracefully, swaying to the music and becoming immersed in its flow.
Eraqus glanced up the moment Riku entered the room, a small smile dawning on his face.
"Hello, Riku. Do you play?"
The silverette shook his head and the elder vampire smiled, gently, like a grandfather looking upon their grandchild.
"I'd say you will, someday" he said, as he walked over and corrected Terra's elbows. "Most do, though some prefer painting or poetry."
"A pastime?" Riku questioned.
"Hm. For some, yes. For the majority-" he adjusted Terra's posture, "-it becomes a means of relieving emotion. As you can see, young Terra seems to have the need to abuse this piano. Thankfully, it's an old heirloom, and can take a vampiric beating."
Riku's head tilted downward upon the last word, his fingers moving to the edges of his shirt. He fiddled absent-mindedly, looking like a guilty child. "Master, what I did-"
"Riku. Some incidents are to be expected from a newborn. We are not hunters- we will not kill you for one mishap, or punish you, even. Your own guilt is punishment enough."
He exhaled, folding his arms. "Your friend. He is…interesting" he said, a strange look in his eyes.
"He's a Strife."
Ven immediately stopped playing at the word, looking up to Riku, then to Eraqus, who was now rubbing his chin.
"That does explain it. We were watching you for some time before we decided to turn you, and I decided he was too volatile."
"The Strife bloodline…" Ventus murmured, fiddling with the instrument. "Master- you've mentioned it before. What does it entail? What makes those of the line relevant to beings like us?"
"They're hyper-sensitive to the supernatural, and the family has a history of hunters and others alike" said Riku, taking a seat near the doorway. "Vanitas's father, uncle and cousin are part of the hunter half, but he's mentioned that family reunions are a…interesting affair."
Riku shivered unconsciously. Based on Vanitas's description, he never wanted to step foot near a Strife family reunion. That said, Vanitas had sworn he was going to drag the silverette along for the ride next time one happened, and he doubted he could get out of it now. Prior to the last few weeks, his excuse would've been 'I don't want to end up as prey to one of your cousins'. That excuse definitely didn't fly anymore.
Ven remained quiet, taking a seat upon a stool, a podium with music notes before it. He flicked through it for a few moments, reading over the notes. His eyes seemed faraway, clouded with thought. It took Riku a moment, but he eventually realized it was the same look he'd had after Riku had said the name 'Sora' for the first time.
"Master. I'd like to play this one again" Ven said, and a sad look immediately appeared in Eraqus's eyes. Still, he nodded, tapping both Terra and Aqua out of their reverie and handing them the sheet music.
"Oh, this is-" Terra murmured, before nodding. They prepped their music, and Eraqus walked over to Riku.
"Sometimes, when Ven is caught in melancholy, he writes rather than plays" he explained. "And when he feels the memories lurking close, he will ask to play those songs. They're different, depending on the memory, but this one is the one he plays most often."
Riku nodded, silent as Ven motioned to Terra. Heavy piano notes began to echo through the room, and slowly Ven and Aqua joined. The room filled with music, soft and melancholic, full of emotion and pain. Riku didn't usually listen to music all that much, but nothing he'd ever heard had this much emotion in it. Despite not even knowing the context of the song, he could feel tears beading up at the corner of his eyes, hanging his head so the silver strands would hide them. Eraqus's had his eyes closed, while Aqua and Terra simply looked sad- however, while Ven's expression showed he was purely in the music, a steady stream of tears was creeping down his face, dripping down his chin uninhibited.
At the end, the three stepped back from their instruments, and the blonde used his thumb to clear away the tears, sniffling.
Riku's eyebrows suddenly shot up. That wasn't Ven sniffling.
He stood, turning to the door and gently opening it up, stepping into the hallway. Vanitas was standing beside the doorway, tears streaming down his face, trying to restrain his sobs.
"Vanitas?"
He looked up, his eyes red and puffy, the blue glowing with pain.
"I don't know why I'm crying" he whispered, trying to rub his eyes clear. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright" said Riku gently, stepping toward him and gently beginning to rub his back in soothing circles. The raven-haired teen lent into him, swallowing thickly.
He took a few minutes to calm down, before stepping away again, sighing. "What is that song?"
"I'm not sure" said Riku. "Ven wrote it."
Vanitas raised an eyebrow, before moving into the music room. Ven was back to flicking across his music sheets, looking for something else.
"Are you alright?" the blonde asked, looking surprised. "Have you been crying?"
"No, I was cutting onions" Vanitas murmured. "A lot of onions."
"Right…" Ven said, looking a bit confused, before shaking his head, going back to the music notes. "Terra, Aqua…page 45."
"Hm…ok. Still in that mood?"
The blonde nodded, before looking over to them. "You might want to sit."
The two nodded, sitting down. Ven counted out the beats, motioning to Terra again to begin. He and Aqua started at the same time, with Ven eventually providing the main melody. This song was just as emotion filled, though the melody itself felt simpler. It was full of regret. Of guilt and sacrifice, and a deep, swirling sadness.
Vanitas didn't cry as heavily this time, though the flow from Ven's face was no different. Still, drops of moisture were present in the raven's eyes. He let out a long sigh, rubbing them away as annoyance flicked over his face. The trio finished up, and Ven also let out a long breath, beginning to pack up his instrument.
Once it was tucked away, he looked over to Vanitas. "You've got a lot of pain in your past, haven't you?"
"Doesn't everyone?" Vanitas murmured, tilting his head sideways, away from the blonde's gaze. The blonde adopted a small, sad smile, tucking the instrument case under his arm as Aqua also packed up.
"Are you feeling better now, Ven?" she asked, and he gave her a smile.
"Yeah. Thanks, Aqua. It's been a while since I've met someone who can play the violin."
The blue-haired girl smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, my parents got me started early…my mother loved the instrument, so it kind of stuck with me after…"
She stopped abruptly, before shrugging, walking over to the raven. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine" he said, also shrugging and standing up. "So, it's about five; how does dinner sound?"
Terra snorted loudly. "There's no way you can cook."
The small blonde laughed in response to this. "I'm cooking. Vanitas just went out and bought the ingredients for me."
He swallowed, flicking back a few strands of his fringe. "We're…going to try getting me inebriated. To see if maybe my memory loss is magick-induced."
Riku's eyebrows shot up, and he glanced at his friend, who had nodded at the statement. "Is that a good idea?"
"I'm not dangerous while drunk, Riku" said Ven. "I'm not really dangerous at all, any more. I'm probably the most tame vampire you'll encounter."
"Why?"
He shrugged. "It's a secret to everybody."
Riku's brow furrowed at this, but he said nothing, as he stood to join the group retreating out of the room. Ven, Vanitas and himself headed toward the kitchen, while Terra and Aqua headed in the opposite direction. There were several plastic bags full of groceries on the bench, along with a couple of bottles of whiskey.
"How did you even get that?" Riku asked, and Vanitas grinned.
"Well…technically I stole it, but I left the money for them there. So nobody loses!"
Riku shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "One of these days, Axel is going to set you on fire."
Vanitas snorted. "That'd be the one day my dad comes to my rescue, because it'd finally give him an excuse to beat the crap out of him."
The silverette chuckled. That was probably true. Aris had been searching for an excuse to hurt Axel for a while, but given the guy was the entire reason their antics didn't get them arrested, he had to stay his hand.
Ven began pulling out groceries as they talked, tugging pots and things out of cupboards, listening intently. "You don't get along with your father?" the blonde asked, his tone gentle.
"No" Vanitas murmured, sitting down on a stool as Riku did the same. "It's hard to explain."
The blonde nodded, pulling out a chopping board and beginning to dice ingredients. Vanitas sighed, before beginning to hum the first song Ven had played, somehow already knowing it off-by-heart.
"It's the first time someone's cried as much as me over that one" Ven said. "Aqua shed a few tears the first time, but that was all."
"Who is it for?" Vanitas asked, and the blonde raised his eyebrows.
"How'd you know it was 'for' someone?"
The raven shrugged nonchalantly, rubbing his hair. "It just…made me think of someone. Someone I don't remember very well."
Ven blinked a few times, before resuming his vegetable chopping. "Yeah…I don't remember the person who it's for, either. But that said, I don't remember a lot of things."
He sighed, finishing off his vegetable cutting. The three lapsed into an easy silence as Ventus cooked, Vanitas's expression remaining pensive throughout. Riku occasionally opened his mouth to say something, but stopped; the silence was enjoyable, and the questions he had would ruin the mood.
Terra and Aqua eventually came back in, looking a bit confused as they glanced at the three.
"Is everything ok?" Aqua asked.
"Yeah!" said Ven cheerfully. "I'm almost done. Vanitas got all the groceries we need for the week. Could one of you set the table for me?"
"Sure" said Terra, beginning to pull out the tableware. "Are you sure everything's fine though?"
"Mhm."
The brunette sighed, but let it go, arranging the plates on the table. Aqua rolled her eyes and began correctly their positioning, much to Terra's displeasure. The sight made Riku chuckle quietly. These three and Eraqus really did have a family, in a sense. It reminded the silverette of a time before everything in his life had changed- before he'd let himself and Vanitas become so distant.
Ventus served up the meal, and they ate with pleasurable chatter. Although Ven didn't eat along with the rest of them, he still joined in, toting a bowl full of blood and laughing along with the rest of them. Once the meal had been finished, they broke out the whiskey, and resolved to attempt to make this as 'enjoyable' as possible, despite the fact they were intentionally getting Ven blind.
It didn't take long before the pledge dissolved and the group was monitoring Ven as he drank, Aqua lightly jotting down notes in a book she had been carrying with her. A glance from the silverette informed him that it contained notes about the supernatural, which was fair enough. Before she'd joined this little entourage, he was sure Aqua hadn't been involved in the craziness that his own life was.
It was well past eleven when something of note happened. Ven had taken the remaining bottle of whiskey (they'd already finished the first) and was swaying rather heavily, sitting on one of the dining chairs. His blue eyes were glazed over, seeming to stare into the distance.
"I miss them" he blurted, and Vanitas immediately looked up and over to him.
"Who?"
"My…family" he murmured, taking a large swig of the golden liquid and coughing a bit. "Yeah…I miss my family."
He swallowed, placing the bottle down on the table, as tears began to form in his eyes. A choking sob escaped his chest, the smaller vampire hanging his head as he began to cry in earnest.
"This is all my fault" he whispered, spluttering on his words as Aqua walked over to put an arm around his shoulders. "If I hadn't…if I wasn't an idiot, none of them would…"
He choked, looking at the floor and his hands.
"Roxas…Sora…"
Riku looked over to Vanitas, whose expression had become intent and focused. He didn't question the sentence though, and let Ven keep speaking.
The blonde looked over to him, and he swallowed. "You…you look like him. But you're not, are you?"
Vanitas shook his head slowly.
The blonde smiled slightly, looking at the ceiling. "I wonder if…Roxas ever forgave me? Even…even though he…and Xion…"
Ventus swallowed thickly again, before pressing his head into Aqua's arm. "I'm tired, Aqua. I'm so tired."
"Can I take him to bed?" she asked, and Vanitas nodded. Riku's brow furrowed, suddenly realizing that Vanitas had gone quite pale.
"Who's this Roxas person?" asked Riku, and Vanitas looked over to him.
"I don't know" he murmured. "The only person I know for sure…"
The sighed, rubbing his hair and turning fully to face him, swallowing.
"Riku, Xion was my mother's name."
They didn't speak much about the talk with drunk-Ventus that following week. Vanitas explained that he knew very little about his mother- she had left when he was still very small. All he really knew was that she had short, black hair and was named Xion. The name wasn't exactly common, which left one thought in both teen's heads.
Ventus had known Vanitas's mother- and possibly his father as well. But though Riku had a nagging feeling that Vanitas had already figured it out, the other teen didn't explain. In fact, he seemed to proceed to distance himself even further from the silverette, now leaving earlier in the morning than Riku, and not getting home until late. The behaviour worried him, but he wouldn't hear a word of it. Stubborn til the last breath.
That Saturday night, Riku decided to head over to do inventory and Aris's, and Vanitas did the unthinkable.
"Hey, Ri" he called from the top of the stairwell. Riku was standing near the bottom, notepad in hand, jotting down a list of what they were low on.
"Hey" said Riku, giving him a small smile. "I'm just heading out for inventory, I'll be back in a couple of hours or so."
"…Can I come?"
Riku stared at him for a few seconds, wondering whether or not he'd just heard that. "Excuse me?" he said, his eyes wide.
"I wanna come with, peabrain" Vanitas muttered, sliding down the stair railing. "Stop staring at me like that."
"But…you never actually want to come."
He let out a short huffing sound. "But I want to this time, damn it. Stop judging me."
Riku's eyebrow quirked up at the behaviour. The defensiveness was more than telling; he had a purpose for this visit, but didn't want to tell him. The mutual silence between them was getting on Riku's nerves, but the silverette was desperate to avoid conflict- the incident from earlier in the week still weighed heavily on his mind.
A push on his shoulder jolted him from the thought, and he turned to see Vanitas grinning broadly at him. "Ey, let's pick up some food on the way, and we'll talk. Sound good?"
"…Really?" Riku murmured, swallowing, and the smile eased into a sympathetic one.
"I miss you" Vanitas said, casting his eyes downward as he slowly removed his hand. "We don't talk anymore."
Riku's lips twisted into a wry grin. "That's your fault, you know."
"I know. Will you let me fix it?"
The look on his face was almost pleading, and Riku felt his heart tug uncomfortably in his chest. His eyes had always had that effect on him, yellow or not.
"Alright. Let's go" Riku said, and Vanitas grinned, bolting to the door as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Let's just get some shitty take out, eh?" he suggested, placing his hands on his hips.
"Shitty takeout still costs an arm and a leg" said Riku with a shrug. They stepped outside into the cool afternoon hair, the breeze shifting locks of black and silver around their faces.
"I want pickles."
The silverette knocked him with his fist and Vanitas chuckled, as they headed toward the car. "So Maccas then?"
"'Course."
"How many this time?" Riku drawled, and the raven's face split into an evil smirk.
"Ten? Fifteen? How many are ya gonna let me have, Ri?"
"I'll buy twenty, first in best dressed."
"You're fucking on."
They found themselves pulled up at McDonald's twenty minutes later, both boys feet up on the dash as they chewed through cheeseburgers. Their order never failed to weird out whoever was tending the registers when they came by; massive amount of cheeseburgers and two large shakes. The floor was already scattered with wrappers, but they'd slowed down from their original food rush and were casually munching them now.
"So" started Riku, and Vanitas took a big slurp out of his shake.
"So. Should I start, or d'ya wanna ask questions?"
"Whatever you prefer" said Riku with a gentle shrug. Vanitas let out a long sigh, looking at the car's window.
"Guess I'd better start from the beginning" he muttered, taking a bite from his cheeseburger. "Well, y'know what my dad is like. He's always been like that. Hateful, cruel, you name it. I never really had a reason to believe otherwise, and most people don't. There's no indication there's something else."
"Something else?" Riku asked, raising an eyebrow.
"He's not all he appears to be, Ri. I know that's hard to believe, with how long you've known him. And I've been tryin' to get to the bottom of it, make sure it's not just my imagination, and it's taken me a long time."
He took a deep breath, ruffling his hair. "When I was eight, my dad got obliterated-drunk. Worse than I'd ever seen him. But that night…he didn't get mad. Or yell. Or do anything, really…in fact he hugged me and cried."
Riku stared at him for a few seconds, his left cheek bulging with a half-chewed mouthful of cheeseburger. He swallowed it, still looking stunned. "Aris cried?"
"Wept like a baby" Vanitas whispered. "He wouldn't stop saying sorry. Told me it was all his fault, and he was sorry for what he was putting me through."
"But doesn't he have-"
"I thought that too right up until I found out about alcohol inhibiting mental magick" Vanitas quickly said, glancing upward for a few seconds before looking at Riku. "Get it yet? The man we know isn't my dad. Someone fucked him up. Someone used magick to fuck up my dad's head, a long time ago now. And the only time he's himself is when he's so drunk he might not wake up the next morning."
"…So that's what this is all about?"
"Yeah. I received magick when I swore I was gonna get m'dad back" Vanitas muttered, dropping his legs off the dash. "But that doesn't explain the last part. How Ventus and everything's connected…"
The raven exhaled. "That's why I'm coming to inventory. There's something I need to see, and if that's it…if that's the case then…well, I don't know. I just get the feeling something huge is about to happen, and it's got something to do with this, with Ventus, with the names he mentioned. Roxas, Xion, Sora. I'm not that Sora, someone else is, but I'm connected to him. And that's what I'm trying to figure out. It's all connected. I just need a few more pieces."
Riku stared blankly outside for a few minutes, before slurping on his milkshake loudly to break the tension. "Well, in that case, better head to inventory."
Vanitas smiled wryly, looking at the lid of his drink. "Yup. Like a bandaid, right?"
"Yeah."
The rest of the trip was made in silence, with barely a spoken word being spoken between them. The information hadn't been too much of a shock, but perhaps the nature of it was what made it such a big deal in Vanitas's mind; this was his father, and because of whatever mental fuckery had happened to him, Vanitas's childhood had been a living hell. Although Aris had been the one at the forefront of everything, in the end it was that person who had caused Vanitas's suffering.
If Riku got the chance, that person would pay dearly for everything they'd done to his best friend.
They pulled up outside, sliding out of the car. Riku raised his eyebrows at an unfamiliar motorbike parked outside the building, but Vanitas didn't seem to pay it much mind.
"Who's is that?"
"My dad's. It's his old Kingdom model" Vanitas said, rubbing his hair. "He doesn't use it that much these days."
"I didn't know he rode a bike."
"Everybody in the Strife family rides a bike" Vanitas joked. "Untrue, but hey."
"What about your uncle?"
"Why don't you ask him?" Vanitas said, glancing toward the car in the driveway. Riku's brow furrowed.
"Your uncle's here?" Riku asked, and Vanitas nodded.
"Organization's in town, Ri, and my uncle's number XIII. My dad's his only relative besides Cloud, and I don't think he and Cloud are very close, at least from what Cloud's said."
"Ah" said Riku, nodding, as they headed for the door. Vanitas put his hand on the handle, turning to Riku and giving him a very serious stare.
"If I'm right, don't say a word" he murmured, and Riku looked confused for a moment, before nodding. By the way Vanitas he'd said it, he'd know straight way, whatever this was.
Vanitas gave him a short nod in response, and they headed inside. Slightly annoyed voices were coming from the staff room, so Riku and Vanitas headed over toward it.
"Y'know what, you could at least make sure he was ok. He's your fucking nephew."
"He's an adult, dumbass. I can't decide what he's doing. And neither can you."
Riku and Vanitas opened the door a crack, and Aris growled at them. "Come in, you fucking idiots."
They shuffled in. The room's other occupant was a man about Aris's height, currently clad in a black coat- the same one that Lea wore- and the hood was up. He folded his arms, looking at them.
"Is this your son?" he asked, and Aris nodded.
"This is Vanitas, and the other's Riku. The idiot in black is Socrates."
"Cute, Aristotle. Do you actually insult everyone you meet, or is it restricted to people you actually know?"
"Shut up, Roxanne."
Socrates's grip on his arms tightened for a second, before he let out a small sigh. "Do you even know where he is?"
"Pretty sure he's staying with Leon at the moment. At least, that's the text I got. Why are you getting so frickity-frack over your twenty-two-year-old son anyway? He can handle himself."
"I'm his father. I'm supposed to worry about him" Socrates retorted, and Aris scoffed, standing from his chair and walking to the door.
"You two, lemonade, coffee? I'm gonna make a drink run so you better decide quick."
"We're good" said Riku. "We just had dinner."
Aris rolled his eyes. "Green tea, Rox?"
Socrates sighed heavily, sitting down in a chair, while Riku's eyebrow had quirked upward. That was the second time Aris had called his brother something that had nothing to do with his name.
"If you have it. If you don't, normal tea's fine" he muttered, pushing back his hood.
Riku froze for a second, the cogs in his head jamming up. Why the hell was-
No, it wasn't. He was too old. He was clearly in his late thirties to forties, his blonde spikes tinged with silver and his face bearing all signs of age. He had a weary, tired look about him, but his eyes were just as blue as his brother's and nephew's.
But…even with that, the resemblance was undeniable. He was a carbon copy, just older. It was even clearer than Vanitas and Aris's resemblance; and that had always been obvious.
He looked just like Ventus.
Exactly like Ventus. In fact…Riku would almost say this would be what Ventus would look like if he could age. The time gap was right. Ventus kept saying he was old enough to be his father…
The grim look on Vanitas's face said it all. He knew. This was what he'd been expecting.
"And stop referencing that old name, too" Socrates muttered, looking over to his brother, who was still standing in the doorway. "I haven't used Roxas in years."
"Yeah, yeah" Aris muttered, walking through the door. "Go eat a fuckin' sea salt ice-cream."
The door slammed shut with a loud bang, leaving the staffroom in dead silence. Socrates exhaled, placing his elbows on the table and rubbing his temples. The gesture exposed his wrists, revealing a checkerboard wristband with a black outer band.
"Sorry. Aristotle and I have never really gotten along…my brother used to be the one to break us up."
Vanitas pulled out a chair, sitting down at the table as well. "Your twin?"
Socrates raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. How'd you know?"
"I saw some photos when I was a kid."
The older man nodded solemnly. "Ah. Yeah…Plato was my older twin. It was sort of like a joke for our parents, that the eldest child was the one with the youngest philosopher's name. We always kind of hated our names, which is why Aris keeps referencing the name Roxas. It's got a weird origin story, but it's basically Socra, reversed the 'r' and the 's', and added an 'S' so it sounded better. It's spelt with an 'x' in the middle instead because the other way looked really stupid on paper."
Vanitas nodded. "Did my dad and my uncle have nicknames too?"
Socrates exhaled, glancing at the door for a moment. "Yeah…my twin was Ventus, which mean wind. Aristotle's was Sora…Aris reversed, and he switched a vowel. The second reason they thought Roxas was a cool name; it's an anagram for Sora with the X added. But we haven't used those names in years…we're not those people anymore."
Riku blinked a few times, before turning away from the table for a moment. What the ever living fuck? Aristotle was Sora? The original Sora? How the hell did that work? So that meant that their brother was a vampire…Cloud and Ventus were related…Socrates and Ventus were twins.
Riku glanced toward Vanitas, whose blue eyes were dark with thought as he looked at his uncle.
"What happened to my other uncle?" he asked, and Socrates froze for a moment, before his brow furrowed. Creases on the skin there showed that this was an expression he often held.
"He died" he replied stiffly. "When we were still kids."
Vanitas nodded for a moment, before smirking and leaning over the table suddenly. "You're full of shit."
"And what makes you say that?" Socrates immediately hissed, his eyes narrowing at the younger boy.
"Because I know Ventus."
The room went dead quiet, as Socrates' eyes went very wide. His expression flitted between shock, confusion and a little bit of fear for a few moments, before his jaw clenched, his eyes shooting daggers.
"You're playing a dangerous game, especially if you have no clue what you're talking about."
Vanitas leant in closer, a smirk still playing across his lips. "Ventus has no memory of the last twenty years, because someone wiped it, and- the most important part- I know for a fact he looks like you when you were fifteen. Back when he 'died', right?"
Socrates' eyes narrowed for a moment, before he exhaled. "And what do you intend to do about it?"
"Really, I'm just confirming the situation" he said, leaning back. "Because I'm trying to unravel the puzzle of how my father ended up like he is, and I can't do that without the rest of the story, can I?"
Riku folded his arms, looking pensive. "So you think that Ven's condition is connected to this, Van?"
"You're on the right track" Socrates murmured. "It's connected, but it didn't happen at the same time, if that's what you think the case is."
He stood, looking at Vanitas with a sharp stare that made Riku's hair stand on end. There was a distinctly dangerous aura around the other man that Riku couldn't quite place, despite the fact it felt eerily familiar.
"I need to know where Ventus is."
"I'll tell you that the moment you tell me everything you know about what happened to my dad and anything you might know about how to fix it."
"Is that was this is about?" Socrates asked, and a small smile appeared on his face. "You have your mother's fire, you know. She kept pursuing this, too, but back then…"
The older man grimaced. "I'll tell you what you actually want to know. Ven's help is needed, and I'm going to need to speak with him. And then…well, we're going to need to plan around Xehanort's movements."
"What's Xehanort got to do with it?"
Socrates glanced at the staffroom door, before walking over to it and leaning on it so it couldn't be opened. "So you know of him?"
"Only that he's a Pureblood" Riku murmured, and Socrates nodded.
"Did your Master tell you that?" he asked, and Riku blinked a few times, which earned a chuckle. "I'm not as dense as my brother, unfortunately. I'm the one who asks questions."
He exhaled, closing his eyes. "Xehanort is not just a Pureblood. He's one who uses his ability to created Marked without discrepancy, along with being an unparalleled magick caster and fighter. He's old, and thus seeks entertainment; my brothers became a source for such. Ven first, then Sora years later…essentially he filled his heart with hate, turning him into a violent pawn."
"So Xehanort is the cause of all this?" Vanitas said, his eyes going a little wide. "If it wasn't for him-"
"You wouldn't have suffered at all. He's aware of both the Organization and Sora being in this town at the same time, so there's an absolute guarantee he'll be here within the week. And in order to fix Sora, we need to use him and three who share his blood to force the magick to break. From there I'll repair my part in all of this."
"Your part?"
"I had to rearrange his memories to make him safe enough to live among others."
Vanitas nodded slowly, as Socrates' brow creased in thought, and he murmured something under his breath as the door banged behind him.
"What the fuck? Who's in the doorway?"
Socrates moved forward and Aris came in, green tea in one hand and lemonade in the other. He looked between the group, focusing on each for a moment before looking at Socrates.
"Did I miss something?" he asked.
"Not really."