Hey everyone ^_^ I can't believe I've finished this chapter already! I was feeling very inspired to write this chapter it took me only two days! I hope everyone likes. let me know what you think and leave a review ^_^
Vanitas sat in his room. He had made his mind up on what he was going to do. Somehow some way he was going to rescue Ventus. After all it was his fault that Ventus was now in this position. If vanitas had never confessed; if he had just kept his mouth shut, then Ventus would still be beside him and not in the hands of that awful man. Vanitas calculated that it would be about a month before he could do anything. For his parents kept a close watch on him. Especially after all that had happened. His parents would not be going on one of their trips for another month. Hence the waiting.
But that only gave him more time to plan out what he was going to do. Vanitas knew that Xehenort was no pushover and a crafty old man at that. There had to be some way he could sneak into Xehenorts home. With or without the help of others. Vanitas had not yet told anyone of his plan but he knew he wouldn't be able to keep it a secret from Sora for much longer. That damned brother of his always getting into other peoples business and trying to help out. Vanitas supposed it was one of Sora's better traits but an annoying one.
Vanitas stared out of the window beside the small table in his room. It was about dusk and the sun was starting to set and he wondered if maybe Ventus was looking at the same sky. Or if the one that Ventus saw was more hopeless? He didn't doubt it. Ventus probably didn't think that anyone would come to rescue him and least of all Vanitas. There was a knock at the door. Vanitas turned away from the window and came to the door slowly opening it. Sora stood there with a sympathetic look on his face.
"What do you want?" Vanitas asked.
"Can I come in. I would like to talk with you." Sora said calmly but with a hint of sadness in his voice.
Sora rarely acted like this. It was then Vanitas knew Sora really had something important on his mind. Vanitas was already feeling like shit so what would have been the difference with Sora being there. He opened the door more widely and walked away from it having a seat in the chair next to the small table and he sighed heavily. Sora made his way inside and closed the door then finding a seat on the edge of Vanitas's bed.
"I heard the news about Ventus." Sora said.
"And what of it?" Vanitas replied.
"I just wanted to well," Sora thought for a moment but he couldn't come up with anything better than his original words. "I just wanted to try and cheer you up. You've been hiding in your room for a couple of days now." Sora continued.
"Ha! Cheer me up?" Vanitas sneered. His face distorting into something of amused discontent. Sora didn't know how to respond to that. It hurt him to see his brother suffering so much.
"I've sent Ventus into the hands of death willingly. Tell me, how the hell could anything cheer me up?" Vanitas said. After that he laid his head on the table with his hands at his sides. He breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly into almost a chocked whine. He could feel tears threatening to fall. Just what had he done? How did he think everything would have played out? He played with fire and got burned, horribly. Now because of his actions someone was going to die... again.
"This is all my fault." Sora said at last.
"How so?" Vanitas asked.
"If I hadn't brought him here then none of this would have happened." Sora replied.
"Didn't Terra say that he would have died on the streets if you hadn't brought him home?" Vanitas questioned.
Sora thought for a moment back to when Ventus had first come to their home. "Yes, he did." Sora looked down at the ground and began to study the pattern in the area rug that laid before Vanitas's bed.
"So what now?" Sora asked after some time had passed.
Vanitas sat up and with both hands rubbed his face trying to shake off the sadness that had clung to him. "I have a plan." He replied looking over to his brother.
Vanitas knew that he would need help weather he wanted it or not. Sora remained just about the only person he felt he could trust. After all he couldn't trust his parents. Nor could he trust any of the servants for the very fact that he didn't know who might have revealed his relationship with Ventus. Sora was the only one who openly, at least to Ventus and Vanitas supported the relationship.
"A plan?" Sora repeated.
"I'd be going against our parents orders. but so what? As far as I'm Concerned. I no longer want to call this place my home." Vanitas said.
Sora felt his stomach drop. This whole ordeal had been really bad but now Vanitas didn't even want to stay home?
"But I- I don't want you to go. I don't want... I don't want you to hate me too." Sora said sadly.
"I don't hate you Sora. You are the only one I feel I can trust." Vanitas said honestly. The last thing he wanted was for the only person he did trust to get the wrong idea.
Sora looked up at his brother in surprise. Had Vanitas really just said what Sora thought he said?
"So what are we going to do?" Sora asked.
"Just leave everything to me." Vanitas replied.
It was early in the morning and Ventus was on his hands and knee's scrubbing the floor as hard as he could. Xehenort wanted him to have the room cleaned as quickly as possible but as cleanly as possible. The chain around his left ankle clattered as he moved about. It was a measure Xehenort felt necessary because of the very fact that Ventus had slipped through his net more than once. It had been a little over a month since Ventus had been parted from Vanitas and Sora. Within that time he tried to escape on his own.
All attempts ending in failure. But he had to try at the very least. He reached the opposite end of the room trying to get all of it cleaned but the chain had been stretched as far as it could go. The end that was not around his ankle was attached to a hook on the wall. Ventus stretched with all his might to try and get the spots that seemed completely out of reach. He felt as if the chain wasn't long enough on purpose.
The door opened in effect scaring Ventus so his hand which was scrubbing slipped and his chin hit the floor first. He groaned at the pain that shot through his chin and head. He sat up rubbing the hurt area. Braig stood there with somewhat of an amused look on his face.
"Having a hard time there blondie?" He commented.
"Shut-up!" Ventus retorted back. Giving Braig the most threatening face he could muster.
"Looks like you still got that angry look down." Braig said. "The old coot wants you in the basement. Seems he's got some plans for you."
Braig bent low and whispered in Ventus's ear. "Maybe today's the day you get to join your dear little brother." Ventus's eyes widened at that comment. Braig then stood and went over to where the chain was connected to the wall. Ventus just sat there not knowing how to respond. He was scared. Scared and trapped and there was nothing that he could do.
He gave Braig a hard time. First he didn't move at all when Braig yanked on the chain for Ventus to follow. He just sat there where he had been. It wasn't until Braig started lifting him up by the hair that Ventus stood and began to follow. But he walked slowly being yanked by Braig every so often. When they finally made it down to the basement Braig chained Ventus's wrist's to the wall so that Ventus now sat with his arms mostly above him.
"We're talking precautions, you seem to be a very good little escape artist." Braig said as he put the key in his pocket. "Just sit tight kiddo." He said with an all knowing smirk.
Ventus could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. How had it come to this? Was this really the end? Knowing that he was about to die and yet not knowing exactly when it left him with many intense feelings all intertwining making his breath short and his stomach hurt. All he could do was cry silently and wait. For how long? He wondered. How long would they leave him down there? A few hours? A few days? Xehenort could walk though that door at any minute.
"Vanitas..." He said weakly as the tears came.
Vanitas sat at the small table in his room. He was going over the plan in his head. He had learned much within the month. One of which was that Xehenort on this particular day wouldn't be home around five at night until sometime around ten. That gave him a five hour range of time where he could sneak in without the master of the house being there. Vanitas only prayed that when they tried to sneak in none of the servants would notice and if they did he hoped that they wouldn't stop him.
It was about five thirty in the afternoon. His parents had been gone for two days so he knew there wouldn't be any disruptions from them. Vanitas, Sora and Terra; Of whom had found out about their little secret plan had decided to join them, got them self's ready. Terra had felt awful for revealing Ventus and when he found out that Xehenort meant to kill Ventus Terra wanted in. So Vanitas reluctantly let Terra join them. After all, even if he didn't like Terra too much he knew he could use the help. The three of them left giving no sign to the others of what they were about to do. They had parked the Carriage they took at a nearby store and in an inconspicuous manner walked the rest of the way to Brookside Manor.
"Now Sora if things get too dangerous I want you to leave." Vanitas said seriously.
"And what about you? I couldn't just leave you when things are turning south." Sora replied.
Vanitas hadn't the time to respond for they had come to the cursed place at last. "Now we don't know where Ventus is exactly so we'll have to search quickly and quietly." Vanitas said as he made for certain that Xehenort was not home.
The plan that they had worked out was that Sora and Terra were to have come for some sort of business and that Sora wished to talk to Xehenort about. They had worked out exactly what to say and everything. While Vanitas was to sneak in as best he could and while the servants attention was on Sora Vanitas would find Ventus and get him out. They knew if they were caught that there was no plan B so this was their one and only shot to get Ventus out of there. Vanitas was determined.
Sora knocked on the front door with Terra to his side. Vanitas had found a low open window to climb through near the entrance. When Sora and Terra were accepted inside Vanitas gingerly climbed through the window and stayed low keeping an ear out and his eyes pealed. Vanitas moved about stealthy. He had explored for about thirty minutes when he was caught.
"Who are you?" A confused male voice sounded.
Vanitas turned around to see a boy a little older than he was with medium length blue hair swept to the side.
Vanitas didn't know how to respond at first. The fact that he had been caught sent a jolt of fear through his body. He decided to be truthful. Lies never got anyone anywhere.
"My name is Vanitas and I am looking for someone." Vanitas answered.
"And who would that be?" The male asked.
"His name is Ventus. He has blonde hair and blue eyes." Vanitas responded carefully.
"Ventus? No way man. Why are you looking for him? Is this a rescue?" He asked with a bit of excitement in his eyes.
Vanitas gave this servant a look that suggested he was weird-ed out by the servants actions.
"and what makes you think this is a rescue?" Vanitas asked.
"Ventus told me about a raven haired boy with gold eyes that was very important to him. Who went by the name of Vanitas. By the way the names Yuj." the servant replied.
"Are you a friend or foe?" Vanitas asked. He didn't want to spend any more time talking to this Yuj. He had to find Ventus.
"I'm a friend. I hate how the Master treats poor Ventus. None of us who live here like our Master but there's nothing we can do. I commend you on your bravery. Come let me bring you to Ventus." Yuj said as he turned around to walk.
Vanitas didn't know if he could trust this Yuj but he had to for the moment. Yuj knew where the basement was and that would save precious time.
"Ventus has been taken to the basement. The Master is not home so I will help you for as long as I can." He continued.
When they had reached the basement door Yuj stopped. "I will stand guard at the door, make haste young Master." Yuj said as he opened the door.
Vanitas walked in and the door closed behind him. He fumbled in the dark for a light switch. He found it and the lights came on. The basement was damp and it smelled of things Vanitas could not guess. He walked down the stairs carefully until he came to the bottom.
"Ventus!" He called out.
Vanitas heard the rustling of chains and then a small weak Voice came from the silence. "Vanitas?"
It was Ventus. His Ventus. Vanitas ran to the direction of the sound. What he came upon was something he wished more than anything he could erase from his mind. His beloved Ventus was chained to the cold hard wall. Blood caked the side of his head and many bruises and cuts could be seen. He was dirty. His clothes were like rags clinging to his thin and frail body.
"Ventus..." Vanitas said in a whisper.
If anyone doesn't know who Yuj is he's a character from Final Fantasy 13 and FF13-2.
