I don't own anything associated with Kingdom Hearts. It belongs to Square Enix/Disney.
And we are at prompt 50! To everyone who's followed the story this far, I thank you sincerely. Hopefully, you'll stick around for the second half.
And now the next chapter, in which we celebrate the halfway mark by having Vanitas take a huge step forwards
Party
She couldn't believe she was sitting with him on a hillside again. The tension rose up between them, courtesy of her. While she did agree with him about Braig – and was grateful that Vanitas could get her away from him – that didn't change what had happened between her and Vanitas. Or what had happened between her and Ven.
"Why did you lie to me?" she asked. Part of her was tempted to leave, but she would hear him out. She owed herself that much.
Vanitas released a deep breath. The reflection of clouds floated across his helmet, though the sky was swallowed up by the black void.
"Ventus and I have always been enemies," he said. "But you two . . . that only started after you lost your memories."
"After you lied to me," she said quietly.
He nodded. "Ventus didn't understand what was going on. He thought you had chosen me over him." He tried to shrug, but since he was lying down, it looked more like he had rolled his shoulders. "Seems that Terra got the same impression."
"Me and Terra . . . ?"
"Same as Ventus."
Drawing her knees to her chest, she rested her chin on them and looked away. There was so much information that she had to sort through, so much she had to reconsider. She started with what she thought she knew.
"I lived with them." She looked up at the sky, wishing she could see the star that represented her home. "It was on another world in a white castle."
"You did," Vanitas said, "but it wasn't just a party of three. Your Master was there as well."
"And we never grew apart?" She glanced sideways at him for confirmation.
His shoulders slumped. "No."
"Why hasn't he come looking for me?"
Vanitas snorted. "Masters never do their own dirty work. That's what the apprentices are for."
She took that with a grain of salt. Aqua could never sit back and send someone else to make sure her friends were okay; she had to see it for herself. She wondered how her Master could.
"What's his name?"
"Eraqus," Vanitas said.
She mouthed the word, feeling its familiarity.
The silence returned.
Her spine straightened as she raised her chin. "Honestly, I don't know what to think – about any of this." Vanitas turned slightly towards her, and she went on, "I don't know if I can still be around you."
"Why not?" He was fully facing her now, and she cringed at his tone.
"You lied to me," she stressed.
"I'm not lying now." He seemed completely baffled as to why this was still a problem.
"But you did," she explained patiently. "You deceived me, used me, and turned me against my friends." Shaking her head, she set her chin down on her knees again. "How do I know you're not lying now?"
"I'm not!" he insisted.
Tears burned her eyes. "But how do I know that?"
For once, he had no answer.
