Velle woke the next morning groggy and disoriented, she felt like something was on her face. She rubbed it and gasped when she saw black residue in her hand.

"What is this?" She muttered.

She tried to sit up but something prevented her, Velle looked down and saw Vanitas knocked out beside her. His arm was wrapped around her waist, she peeled it off of her and stood quietly. Velle walked over to the bathroom and turned the light on, she observed herself in the mirror and was shocked to see black smeared across her face.

"What is this?" Velle asked herself again as she scrubbed her face in the sink.

"It's Xehanort's darkness pouring out of you," Vanitas startled her, he was standing in the doorway. His voice was low and groggy, "You tried to remember what happened when you were with him yesterday but maybe that's part of it. Maybe you can't and won't remember anything that's happened to you while you're under his control...I tried to get you to tell me what happened then your head started killing you and that stuff started coming out of your eyes."

"But why would that make this happen?" Velle asked as she wiped her face with a towel. She was feeling a lot better now that her face was clean and she could see clearly.

"Maybe it was because you were rejecting Xehanort, trying to expel him from your body." Vanitas suggested.

"I don't really remember anything from last night either," Velle said, walking back into the main room. Vanitas followed her, "That is...except for you trying to kill me."

Velle summoned her keyblade and held it out threateningly at the masked boy. He rolled his eyes behind the helmet and put a hand on her weapon, pushing it down. "I-"

"Say you're sorry!" Velle growled as she pulled her keyblade up again.

"What?" Vanitas asked shocked.

"I said, say you're sorry. It was because of the unversed right?" Velle asked, putting two and two together.

"Huh?" Vanitas stuttered out unintelligibly. He tried to kill her and all she wanted was an apology. He couldn't wrap his head around her logic, she must have been insane.

"The unversed, they did that to you right?" Velle asked again slower.

"Uh...yeah."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, yes they did." He forced himself to pull it together and managed a small sentence.

"Are you feeling better?" Velle asked, making her weapon disappear.

"I'm fine," Vanitas replied, looking towards the door for an escape. He felt vulnerable and uncomfortable under Velle's interrogation.

"So…" Velle continued. " ' ." She emphasized.

"I-" Vanitas stuttered again.

"Have you never said I'm sorry before?" Velle snapped, turning her back angrily to him

"No…" She heard him mumble.

"What do you mean no?" Velle turned back around and looked at him, shocked. "Oh, well just say it."

"Don't I have to mean it?" Vanitas asked, he was almost like a child.

Velle snorted, "You're not sorry for trying to kill me!?"

He stiffened, "No I am, I just-" Velle felt herself laugh at his difficulty.

"What's so funny?" Vanitas snapped, embarrassed.

She regarded him with amusement and replied honestly, "You."

"I'm sorry I tried to kill you," Vanitas said quickly yet sarcastically.

"Thank you," Velle stuck her nose in the air with pride and added, "And you don't have to always mean it when you say I'm sorry, sometimes it's just the thought that counts...but in this case I know you really sorry, right?" She narrowed her eyes and waited for his reply.

Vanitas's lip twitched into an amused smile, "Yep. You got me. What can I say?" He replied sarcastically. In truth, he was angry with himself that he'd lost control. Velle was someone he honestly wanted to hold close and keep away from the darkness of the world. He found it almost comical that he, a being of pure darkness, would want to shelter his prisoner from essentially...himself.

"Good."

Velle turned to walk away but Vanitas grabbed her shoulder, holding her in place, "Hold on." he said. "Xehanort gave me orders…"

Velle felt her heartbeat quicken with fear, "Are you going to-"

Vanitas shook his head, "No, it's fine. You'll be with me today so I don't need to reverse the spell." Velle looked relieved, "Don't relax too much, you have to train with me today."

Velle rolled her eyes, "That shouldn't be too tough, I'm a Keyblade Master Apprentice. How hard could your training be compared to that?"

Vanitas let out a dry laugh, "It's a nightmare. Get ready I'll be back with food." He left, Velle walked to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. When Vanitas returned she ate quickly and he summoned a portal.

"Go on," He urged after he tied the blindfold over her eyes to protect her.

"Where are we going?" She asked, unsure. Vanitas rolled his eyes and shoved her into the corridor forcefully. "Hey!" She shouted.

"Monstropolis," He answered. "Hold on, stand still." He snapped, he grabbed her shoulders and held her in place.

"I need to change your appearance, the people of Monstropolis don't like humans in their city." Vanitas explained as his hand started to glow.

"So what are you gonna change me into?" Velle asked with worry.

Vanitas smirked behind his mask and Velle could hear the amusement in his voice, "Something unnatural."

"Aw, come on Vanitas," Velle backed up slowly.

"Sorry," he hissed ironically and then snickered. A white light shone out from his hand and overcame Velle's body.

"Vanitas!" Velle whined as the light dissipated. She couldn't see anything so she tried to feel her arms under her coat. They felt wet and a little slimy but her fingers felt elongated with claws. "Vanitas…." She whined again.

The boy was quiet, she didn't know why, but suddenly he burst out laughing. "Oh, this is hilarious." he managed after a moment. He took a hold of Velle's arm and began to steer her towards the other side of the portal.

"What's hilarious, Vanitas?" She demanded, slowing down.

"You might just want to keep the blindfold on even after we get out of here," he chuckled.

"Stop! Why?" Velle shouted, feeling nervous. He didn't answer directly; he just laughed and grabbed her wrist under her coat.

"Ew…" he muttered and shook his hand while snickering to himself.

"Vanitas! What did you turn me into!?" Velle shrieked.

He winced at her volume but shook his head even though she couldn't see him. "Relax," he snorted, trying to control his amusement, "You've never looked this good before." He snorted again but stopped himself from laughing further. He took a hold of her arm over her coat and pushed her gently down the corridor.

"Here we are," Vanitas announced, still trying to hide his amusement.

"I'm nervous…" Velle said as she removed her hood and her blindfold. She felt sharp claws against her face and she cringed at the idea of what she was about to see. The violet haired girl looked around, they seemed to be in a factory of some kind. Her gaze fell on her hands that had elongated bat claws, she groaned. She pushed her sleeve up and saw that her arm was now one tentacle complete with slime and suckers, she groaned again.

"What does my face look like Vanitas?" She asked, not even wanting to know the answer. Vanitas snickered and shook his head indicating that he wasn't going to tell her. "Come on!"

He shook his head again, "No."

"Fine!" Velle stomped over to a large yellow tube that had some reflective silver metal on it. She peered at herself in it and screamed, "Vanitas! Change me now!"

"I can't choose what you look like!" He laughed backing up, she was glaring at him with three furious eyes and fangs that looked like they could kill. However, Vanitas being the embodiment of darkness found it hilarious.

"Seriously?" Velle groaned. "Okay, let's get this day over with as fast as possible. What do you want me to do first."

"First we need to find someone and offer them my services in the future," He started to walk away and Velle jogged to catch up with him.

"How do you know who you're looking for?" Velle asked as she followed Vanitas through the factory.

"They're all wearing name tags, Vellum." Vanitas answered sarcastically.

"Ew, don't call me that." Velle snapped.

"What do you mean? That's your name." He replied.

"I don't like it, it doesn't sound like me." She stuck her tongue out in disgust.

"But it's your name, how could it not sound like you?" Vanitas asked. They reached a large warehouse that was transporting doors in hundreds of different directions. Vanitas stopped and cocked his head at Velle in confusion.

"You never wished you had a different name?" Velle asked.

Vanitas shrugged, "I haven't been around that long I guess."

"It's so weird, you really are Ventus, aren't you?" She asked, trying to see through his mask, he stepped back avoiding her. "I saw when Xehanort ripped you from him…"

"In a sense, yes I am Ventus," Vanitas replied.

"And Ventus is you?" Velle continued.

"Yeah," Vanitas mumbled, they walked in silence for a moment.

"Who are we looking for anyways? Don't we need to find him before we can start training?" Velle asked suddenly, the silence making her feel uncomfortable.

"His name's Randall Boggs," Vanitas answered.

"You guys looking for Boggs?" A voice asked from behind them, they turned around to see a short worker in a yellow hazmat suit.

"Yeah." Vanitas answered a little standoffish.

"What for?" The worker asked, suspicious after hearing his tone.

"Um!" Velle interjected quickly, "I'm supposed to be transferring to his department and I was supposed to see him about getting some forms…" Velle looked up at the high ceiling feigning thought and confusion, "Or something like that, I don't know it's my first day." Velle shrugged.

"And you?" the worker asked nodding to Vanitas.

"Same," Vanitas shrugged.

"Oh! You've got the first day jitters don't you?" The worker jeered, he abandoned the cart he was pushing and slapped Vanitas on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we're all real nice here! You'll get the hang of things in no time!"

Vanitas visibly stiffened at the unwanted contact and through gritted teeth replied, "Great!"

"Yeah! Just go on ahead down the hall to the information booth. Roz'll be able to tell you where to find Randall, she knows everything!" He pointed them down the hall and Velle and Vanitas left.

After a moment of walking in silence Velle burst out with laughter.

"What?" Vanitas snapped.

"That guy made you so uncomfortable!" Velle said between giggles.

"I don't like being touched," Vanitas mumbled. "Do you always lie that easily?"

Velle snorted, "I don't like to lie unless I have to, besides isn't lying your thing?"

"Why would it be my thing?" Vanitas asked gruffly.

"Because you're darkness." She replied.

"Look there's the information booth. Come on." He said, changing the subject. They walked over to a large glass window that had a small circle cut out so they could speak to the woman behind it. She was a large slug-like creature wearing a grimace with a name tag that read Roz.

"Next!" She shouted.

"We're looking for Randall Boggs, could you help us find him?" Velle asked nicely.

"Sector C," Roz replied dismissively as she continued to shuffle her papers.

Velle exchanged a look with Vanitas and then shrugged, "Thanks!"

The two continued through the warehouse, above them on a large awning read "Sector A." "It should be this way, " Vanitas said as he led her down the hall.

"That was easy," Velle commented from behind Vanitas.

"She's just some pathetic paper pusher, probably doesn't give a shit about her job." Vanitas grunted in response.

"You curse a lot," Velle said after a moment.

"And?" Vanitas replied obviously annoyed.

"And nothing," Velle shrugged.

"Good." he grumbled. "Look this is Sector C and that must be him, " he nodded towards a lizard creature slithering around frantically with eight arms. "Stay here, while I talk to him." He ordered.

"And do what?" Velle asked, throwing her hands in the air.

"I don't care," Vanitas snapped.

"Fine." she pouted at Vanitas's retreating figure. She saw a mirror behind her and walked up to it, she looked at herself. "Oh boy, do I look tired...what have I gotten myself into?" She tucked a piece of stray hair behind her pointy ear, she glanced over her shoulder at Vanitas. He was walking back towards her leaving Randall staring at him suspiciously.

"Let's go," he spoke.

"What happened?" Velle asked curiously.

"Nothing, I just offered him my services in the future if he does something for me in return." Vanitas replied.

"Like what?" Velle asked.

"Need to know basis, and you-"

"Don't need to know, yeah, yeah I've heard that one before from Terra." Velle rolled her eyes.

"Terra? You haven't mentioned your friends in a while. Him or the girl I mean, do you not like them?" Vanitas asked.

"No it's not like that, I just-"

"Care more about that pathetic weakling?" Vanitas asked, sounding annoyed.

"You are that pathetic weakling, according to you." Velle folded her arms over her chest.

"You were there," Vanitas argued.

"Yeah but I don't think you get it, calling Ven all those things means you're them too." Velle clarified.

"I'm not weak," Vanitas snarled, he opened a door leading them to an abandoned part of the warehouse.

"I'm not saying that, you are. I'm just trying to prove a point. Aren't you Ventus?" Velle asked while looking around at the vast dark space.

"I'm not just Ventus, I'm the darkness inside of him," He explained, walking over to the wall and switching on one light.

"You're a lot like him," Velle said after a moment, he left her standing alone in the center of the large space. "You could have fooled me."

"I am not!" He snapped sounding childish.

Velle giggled, "You sounded like him just now."

"Shut up," Vanitas spat, his mask hiding his blush. He didn't know why but Velle's comments were making him embarrassed even though there was no one in the room with them.

"How am I supposed to train?" She asked, looking up at the rickety spot light above her.

"With these," Vanitas stepped up and waved his hand, several unversed emerged but seemed to idle waiting for a command.

"What? Are you nuts? No way!" Velle exclaimed.

"Why not?" Vanitas asked, looking down at the unversed.

"They'll just hurt you," She reminded.

"So?"

"So, that's it, find another way." Velle said, she turned her back to him.

He snorted, "There's no other way, this is how the master wants it to be done."

"I'm not going to fight them," She said stubbornly.

"Then you'll get attacked by them," Vanitas replied simply.

"You'd let them hurt me?" She asked, turning around and pouting.

"I thought you weren't a damsel in distress," He asked with a smirk.

"I'm not!"

"You sound like one, alright ready?" Vanitas asked, he raised his hand and before Velle could respond he waved it and the unversed attacked.

"Vanitas!" Velle shouted, she quickly jumped out of the way.

"I told you to get ready!" Vanitas laughed as he leaned against the wall and observed the unversed pouncing on the purple haired key bearer.

"No!" Velle retorted, she jumped back and summoned her keyblade quickly slashing one of the unversed to pieces. Vanitas winced slightly at the feeling of the negativity returning to him, but he could handle one unversed. "You asked if I was ready, you didn't tell me to get ready."

"Stop talking to me and watch your back," Vanitas shouted. Velle turned around just in time to dodge an attack, "Cause I'm not going to!" he finished.

Velle snorted," You just did!"

He rolled his eyes and pretended to yawn, bringing his hand up to his mask like it was his mouth. "You owe me."

As Velle defeated the unversed that were charging after her, Vanitas would summon more. Before the negative energy of the unversed returned to him, he had a moment of peaceful clarity. Vanitas observed the purple monster that was Velle, skillfully dispatching her assailants. She was pretty impressive and he could visibly see her get better with every swing.

"Firaga!" Velle bellowed from the back of the warehouse, Vanitas cocked an eyebrow.

"That was a new one," he muttered to himself.

A flurry of flames emitted from the tip of Velle's keyblade and lit the large room. Balls of fire rained down on the unversed like hellfire. Vanitas watched in awe as Velle sprinted her way through the unversed with lightning speed. She flipped and slipped intricately through the crowd slashing precisely, within seconds the large crowd of unversed froze and then fell to the ground dissipating. The onslaught of negativity that was bombarding Vanitas brought him to his knees. Velle watched in horror as he grabbed his head and screamed.

"Vanitas!" Velle shouted as she started to run towards him. Vanitas was silent after the outburst, he just kneeled on the ground trying to catch his breath and get a hold of the searing pain in his head.

"Are you oka-" before Velle could finish Vanitas raised his arm to summon more unversed. "No, that's enough!"

"I decide when you're done," he snarled in a tone that made Velle take a step back.

"Vanitas?" Velle questioned. "I don't want to train anymore." She said definitively, her keyblade disappearing in a flash of light.

"We're not done yet, bring it back!" Vanitas demanded as unversed surrounded him.

"I'd rather fight you than the unversed, I don't want to hurt you," Velle pleaded.

"That would be suicide," Vanitas replied through his teeth.

"Summoning more unversed is suicide!" Velle beseeched.

"I can take it, I'm not weak like your boyfriend," Vanitas spat with venom.

"He's not my boyfriend, he's not weak, and this isn't about him. This is about you, stop making me fight those things, they're hurting you!" Velle begged, dodging the few half assed attacks from the unversed, "Look, even they're acting weird, you need to stop Vanitas!"

"I'm fine," he growled, sending another monster after her. Velle dodged it too, he felt anger building up in him that they couldn't land a hit. What if Velle was right and he was just as weak as Ventus? Vanitas was seething behind his helmet with his fists clenched by his side. He summoned several more unversed and set them on Velle.

"I won't fight them!" Velle insisted, she dodged each of their attacks with intricate flips and slides, making Vanitas fume even more. Just then the spell that the fairy sisters taught her came in to mind. Velle created some distance between her and the creatures and summoned her keyblade, she lept in the air and started to glow white.

"Stop!" Velle shouted, Clocks appeared to rotate around her and Vanitas gasped.

"Time magic? When did she learn that?" Vanitas muttered. Time around the two halted, freezing the unversed in place momentarily. Vanitas exploded with anger and shot towards her in a blinding sprint, keyblade drawn. As Vanitas watched time stop before his eyes he wondered why Velle didn't stop him as well. He looked up to see the monster disguise he cast on her crack and shatter off of her like a shell. "How!?" Vanitas thought to himself as he continued to charge towards her.

Velle landed on the ground with the soft sound of her shoes hitting the hardwood floors. Vanitas had just reached her and he swung his keyblade out to attack but it was met with hers. Velle's hair blew back from the force and Vanitas watched in silent awe as she began to glow blue. Her hair floated around her like she was underwater and suddenly her green eyes were as blue as the ocean. She was beautiful and terrifying, a giant wave appeared behind her that he didn't even notice.

"Waterga!" she dictated. The wave pulled back and before Vanitas could escape it lurched forward and barreled him over. Vanitas tumbled under the waves of her attack, rolling over himself several times before the waves receded. He stood up and summoned his keyblade, her attack wasn't meant to hurt him, just create distance. However, Velle watched him summon his weapon and sprinted towards him. She tackled him to the ground and held him there.

"I said no more, Vanitas," Velle said through gritted teeth, she used her keyblade to give her an advantage against him. Vanitas could have easily pushed her off of him but he was affected by the unversed still. His head was spinning and all he could see was red.

"I'm not weak!" He growled.

"I don't think that," Velle sighed. Vanitas used her distraction against her and flipped them over. Just then her stop spell wore off and the unversed started to wriggle again.

"Vanitas, please!" Velle begged, her eyes bore into his through the mask and he felt exposed. He wanted nothing more than to put her light out just then. It was shining through his soul; it was breaking him down and weakening him. His keyblade was pressed tightly against her throat but Velle didn't move. Vanitas smirked as he pressed the blade down a little further, Xehanort would have to come up with another member for the last fight. Her big green eyes stared up at him, her chest was heaving and Vanitas could see it move.

"You don't want to do this, it's just the unversed. Let's just go back to Traverse Town," Velle whimpered. Her reaction made him feel powerful but it wasn't enough, Vanitas had to prove to himself that he wasn't weak.

"I do want to do this, with every fiber of my body. To every single thing that crosses my path." Vanitas growled in a voice that was almost not his own. Velle winced as he pressed the blade down harder, she knew that wasn't true. "I'll tell you what, this will be the last part of your training for today."

"What?" Velle asked, Vanitas stood and she did the same.

"You fight me, if you win we'll go back to Traverse Town." Vanitas offered, his voice sounded dangerously calm and it made Velle nervous.

"And if you win?" She asked reluctantly.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" he asked, creating some distance between them. Velle felt like prey as Vanitas turned around and summoned his keyblade again. "If I win, you won't leave here alive."

"What?! No!" Velle protested but it was too late, Vanitas was charging towards her with his keyblade. She unzipped the organization coat around her and threw it to the side. She summoned her keyblade and avoided Vanitas's attack just in time with a back flip. Quickly she tapped the armor on her left shoulder and activated it.

"Vanitas, I don't want to do this," She repeated, now covered in full body armor.

"Then you will die for being weak." he sneered in response. He charged towards her again then threw his keyblade and jumped onto it gliding around her.

"What is he doing?" She asked herself.

Vanitas was determined to destroy the purple haired girl, he doubled back towards her and held his hand out. An orb of darkness started to gather in his palm growing in size. Velle sighed and tapped her armor removing it from her.

"Are you stupid?" Vanitas shouted.

"I don't want to fight you Vanitas," Velle stated definitively.

"Then you'll die!" Vanitas snapped.

"Then I'll have to die, I can't hurt you just because of what the unversed do to you. It's not your fault." Velle replied. Vanitas growled and shot the orb at her, Velle waited for the perfect timing and blocked it with her keyblade. It deflected away from her and flung somewhere in the empty warehouse with a crash.

"You can drop the act, you only care about Ventus. You've even forgotten your friends Terra and Aqua. What the unversed do to me is none of your concern and don't pretend it is, no one cares Master Xehanort told me so!" Vanitas jumped off of his keyblade and stood in front of her.

"And you believe him? Vanitas! I care, you need to control it." Velle demanded.

"The master would never lie to me," Vanitas circled her dangerously.

"Xehanort is a deceiver, nothing more. Please, listen to me!" She begged, she dismissed her keyblade and stood before him vulnerable.

"Stop!" Vanitas snarled, he grabbed his head. She was confusing him on purpose, he saw how much she adored Ventus. Velle couldn't care for him, she just wanted to escape. Vanitas pounced on her, his keyblade at her throat once more. Velle didn't flinch, she stared him in the eye with sadness.

"I won't fight you…" She whispered, her eyes glared at him with unwavering determination. Something in Vanitas snapped his resolve in two, his eyes trailed down her body. Velle was covered in a thin layer of sweat, her skin glistened under the one spot light. She slowly brought her hand to the blade. Vanitas watched her carefully, her hand slid down the blade slowly and she began to push it away. "Vanitas…please..."

His hand began to shake as he fought with all his will to drive the keyblade into her but it didn't move further. Finally Vanitas sighed and dropped his keyblade, it hit the ground with a clang and a dark corridor appeared behind Velle.

"Get your coat on and get in before I change my mind," he said through gritted teeth.

Velle turned on her heel abruptly and threw on her coat and blindfold before stepping through the portal. Vanitas seemed like he was fighting with himself and Velle didn't want to anger him further. She entered the portal and Vanitas grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her toward the exit. Velle was stiff as she walked down the hallway, she felt Vanitas's grip tighten with the anger he was fighting.

"Vanitas?" She asked, when they stopped.

"What!" He snapped.

"Are you feeling any better?" She continued slowly.

He looked at her for a moment, furious. Better? He tried to kill her with every fiber in his body and for some reason he couldn't do it. No he wasn't feeling better, he was feeling weak. He didn't answer her.