If Our Hearts Unite
Author's Note: Okay so I lied… I was planning on making this the first chapter of the new fic once the next Kingdom Hearts game came out so I can get more details about Aqua Terra and Ven's excursion… and I may change things up depending on what happens in the future but for now this is what I have in mind.
Bonus Chapter: Vanita's Heart
Venus knelt in front of Master Eraqa's grave with Chirithy at her side. It had been strange reuniting with her, the memory of her past was still covered in a thick haze, but she'd felt a kinship the moment Sora brought Chirithy here. In only a few days, the two of them had become friends again, and spent time together training and researching.
Venus wanted to get stronger… She was in the bottom half of the group when it came to experience and strength and it was something she needed to alleviate. Chirithy agreed to help her in any way that she could… as did Terra and Aqua… but Venus felt there was someone better who could train with her, and alleviate her weaknesses.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Chirithy questioned, laying a paw on Venus' legs. "It won't be easy going in alone."
"I know, but I wasn't planning on going alone." Venus lifted her head and stood up on her feet. "I was thinking of asking Roxas to come with me. She has experience with darkness, and the two of us work really well together."
"Why not ask Terra and Aqua to go with you?" Chirithy questioned. "I'm sure they'd go if you asked them."
"Absolutely not!" She turned to Chirithy. "Those two have been surrounded by darkness long enough. I won't ask them to stare back into that abyss after they just finished escaping it." She held her heart. "No… it's my choice, it's my mission. I'm going to ask Roxas to come with me."
"Come with you where?" Terra's voice broke the conversation and Venus turned to face him. "Not thinking of going off on an adventure without me are you?" He takes her hands and kisses them. "I thought we were in this together."
"We were, I mean are…" she pouted. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to know exactly what you're planning." He let go of her hands, and put his own on his waist. "Aqua and I already figured that we'd have to go back. It's the most likely place to look for Sora."
"Oh… uh well… I wasn't actually going there because of Sora." She held her heart. "There's someone else I need to find. Someone I made a promise to."
"You're talking about Vanita." Aqua joined them and Venus sighed heavily, crossing her arms.
"Oh come on, not you too! Seriously you guys don't have to come with me. I'm sure Roxas and I can handle it."
"Forget it…" Terra waved a hand in the air. "We're going, Ven. Nothing you can do to stop us."
"Are you sure about that? I mean both of you spent years in the darkness, and I don't want you guys to have to face that just because of my promise."
"Ven, we're your friends… and we know this is important to you." Aqua lay a hand on her shoulder. "Vanita is important to you."
"Mmmph…" Ven lowered her head. "I just… hate the thought of her being alone again."
"I'm not going just for you, Ven." Terra admitted looking to the sky. "It's because of Vanita that I was able to come back. I heard her voice in the darkness, calling out to me… and it led me to your light. I want the chance to thank her personally, and to help save her in return."
"Vanita and I don't get along… but I understand how she feels. After being trapped down in darkness for so long I let it swallow me whole, until I could no longer see the light. It wasn't until Sora and Riku came to help me that I was finally able to see the light again. That's exactly what Vanita needs, someone to show her the light."
"Terra, Aqua…" Venus' eyes teared up and she looked down at Chirithy who nodded her head in approval. "Okay… you're right you guys. If we're gonna do this, then we should do it together. No more splitting apart."
"Alright then, I guess I'll go make sure we have all the items and such we need." Aqua picked up Chirithy. "Why don't you help me prepare the potions Chirithy?"
"Why I'd be delighted, Aqua." Both of them giggle, and leave the other two alone.
"I guess we should prepare as well." Venus tucked hair behind her ear and started to walk past him. Terra took her hand and turned her to face him.
"Just hold that thought, okay?" He cupped her face in his free hand. "I know we haven't gotten the chance to address it since we got back, but…"
"I know…" Venus blushed and leaned her cheek into his palm. "I'm sorry. I haven't been able to think about that after everything that's been going on. With Sora disappearing, and training myself up. There's all these new keyblade wielders… Roxas, Axel, Xion, Kairi… I don't want to fall behind."
"You're not that far behind." Terra smiled.
"So says the guy who was granted the title of Master a few weeks ago." Venus pouted. "Yen Sid says he wanted me to take the test too, but I don't feel ready. I fought alongside everyone, and I know I'm at the bottom of the totem pole."
"Venus…" Terra held both her cheeks now so that her eyes met his. "Trust me, physical strength and power are not everything. You have a kind and caring heart, open and forgiving. You and Sora are a lot alike in that aspect, and look at what she was able to accomplish. You'll find your own source of strength with time and patience. Don't be in such a rush."
"Listen to you, sounding like a master already." She grinned up at him, and got a smug look in return.
"Yeah well, I've got the title now. I may as well look and sound the part, right?" He gave her a soft kiss on the lips. "Mmm speaking of which, he should be here any minute."
"Who should be here?" Venus raised a brow and let Terra take her hand. Their fingers laced together intimately.
"My very first pupil." He gave her a wink and walked with her hand in hand back home.
~Riku~
Riku wondered how he managed to keep any kind of sanity. For the past several months he'd had the same recurring dream about a strange city with tall buildings. He could sense Sora's presence there… her heart leading him to her as always. He wandered the city alone, but could feel eyes watching him from a distance.
Then as soon as he'd look up, the sensation disappeared and he'd wake up in bed drenched in a cold sweat.
Sora…
He could still feel her with him. Her presence lingered in his heart, in his memories, and he knew she was out there somewhere waiting to be found. Was that why he kept having those dreams? Was Sora trying to tell him where she was?
"Riku!" Dale shouted through the Gummi Phone, alerting him to his presence.
"Whoa, sorry Dale, I drifted off for a second."
"Don't fall asleep now, according to the map Terra left you're almost to your destination!" He jerked away as Chip came into view to pick up the conversation.
"Remember, once you've touched bases with Terra and the others you're wanted at Radiant Garden. Leon, Yuffie, and Aeris want an update on what's been going on since your last visit."
"Gotcha, I shouldn't take too long. I'm just supposed to pick up Chirithy and drop her off with Merlin so she can help him train the new recruits. I'm heading into the gate now, alert me if there are any opposing threats." Riku guided the gummi ship through the warp gate. He eliminated the lingering threats inside with quick maneuvers and sharp shooting, then safely touched down in The Land of Departure.
He admired the castle in all its wonder and glory, and walked up its steps feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment for arriving without a map, or directions. He'd followed his heart as Terra had instructed him, using their connection as Mentor and Pupil to guide him.
"Well…" Terra greeted him in the throne room. "Look at you. I gotta say I'm impressed."
"Thanks," Riku returned the greeting with a warm smile. "I finally fulfilled my promise to you."
"Mmm, you did. Now there's nothing left for me to teach you." Terra approached him. "You're a keyblade master, not to mention a great leader to those around you. You've even found the strength to save your friends."
"Mmm…" Riku lowered his head, his eyes saddening. "It's still not enough."
"Riku…" Terra placed his hands on the young man's shoulders. "The very fact you were able to make your way here, just proves how strong you've become. That is why I called for you, to tell you that."
"That's the reason?" Riku raised a curious brow.
"What, you expected more?" Terra smirked and then the two of them started laughing. Venus and Aqua came up the steps just in time to hear the laughter.
"Hey you two," Venus ran up, excited and deeply interested in the amusing conversation. The two looked at her, and she beamed with curiosity "What's so funny?"
"It's a secret." Terra shrugged it off and had Venus pouting.
"Oh come on, Terra, don't be like that!" She grabbed his arm, hooking hers through it and giving it a tug. "Why won't you tell me?"
"They never change, do they?" Riku laughed, glancing over at Aqua who shook her head.
"No, but that's one of the good things about them." She sighed and held her heart. "Chirithy is waiting for you downstairs. Take care of her while we're gone."
"Okay… but are you sure about this?" Riku gave her a look of concern.
"Yes, don't worry, I'm not alone this time." She smiled warmly at him, giving his head a gentle pat before walking up to Venus and terra. The three of them combined their power to open the portal.
"Alright…" Riku took a deep breath of his own as he watched his friends and mentors activate their armor and walk through the portal to the Realm of Darkness. "Good Luck."
~The Realm of Darkness~
Vanita welcomed the dark like an old friend. Here was where she belonged, where she was accepted, and where her power could thrive.
… or at least that's how it used to be.
Now this place just felt empty and lonely… SHE felt empty and lonely.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this." She sighed and brought her knees to her chest. The waves gently spread out in front of her, getting no further than the edge of her boots. "I was supposed to thrive in darkness… have unlimited power at my fingertips… but it's not enough. Raw power just isn't enough anymore."
Her aura swelled ominously, and her unversed emerged from it, one crawling along her shoulder to nuzzle at her cheek like a cat. She raised a hand to gently pet its head and she turned to look into its empty red eyes.
"I'm sorry, my pet, but even you can't give me the comfort I desire."
"God you're pathetic…"
Vanita gasped as a voice broke the silence. From the eerie abyss rose a silhouette, and her unversed abandoned her to encircle it instead. The faceless darkness strolled towards her and Vanita got to her feet, clenching her fists at her side.
"Just what kind of comfort do you expect to receive when all you've done is cheat, steal, and lie?" The voice became more prominent as the darkness smeared away. Vanita looked into a reflection of herself, one made of pure unfiltered darkness. "You've fallen hard from grace, and now stumble in the abyss because you long for the light."
"Shut up, I don't need a twisted illusion to know my place." She sneered in response and held her chest. "I already know that my heart doesn't belong in the light."
"Heart?" The shadow scoffed. "What heart? You mean that pathetic trinkle of light that you STOLE from Venus and Sora? This ASSUMED identity and facade you've created from your own delusion of happiness?"
"You're the facade!" Vanita spat back. "I was born of darkness so I know exactly what you are. You're nothing but echoes from the abyss, created to reflect the despair and grief inside my heart! It may be impure, and pieces of it borrowed from those I've connected to, but that doesn't matter! I've made it my own, just as Xion made her existence her own."
"Xion was only able to become real because she had friends who saw her, accepted her, and connected with her. You have no friends, and what few comrades you had no longer care for your existence. You're useless, a pathetic shadow puppet with no one to hold her strings. Someone should put you out of your misery." The shadow laughed at her.
"You? Ha! Now that's a laugh!" Vanita raised her hand to call her keyblade, but it wouldn't form. Her eyes widened with shock and she pulled back her hand shuddering. "What?"
"The keyblade doesn't respond to an unwavering heart. You must have conviction in order to be deemed worthy of such a weapon." The shadow stretched out her hand and the keyblade formed in her palm and she pointed it directly at her. Vanita backed away startled.
"This isn't real… YOU aren't real!" Vanita stood her ground again. "You're just a dumb illusion; a sick mind trick created by the abyss!"
"Oh really?" The shadow tilted its head, grinning wickedly. "Can an illusion do this?" The tip of the blade grew red hot and launched a fiery blaze. Vanita screamed as the attack hit its mark and sent her skidding across the sand.
"Oh ho, ho, did that hurt?" The shadow laughed sadistically as she loosed another one. "How about this!?"
Vanita screamed again and again as the shadow kept attacking, lashing out and leaving her unable to counter.
"Who's real now?" The shadow halted its assault and strutted toward her. "I'm more than just echoes, more than just an illusion of your heart." She snagged Vanita by the hair and forced her to look up at her. "I AM YOU! I'm everything you could have been, everything you gave up when you let things like love and compassion corrupt the pure darkness you were created from."
"Mnnng…" Vanita struggled to get up. She felt pain everywhere, and wished she could just let herself sink. "Damn it…" She clutched her stomach, feeling nauseous as all the emotions inside began to swirl and riot inside her. "I didn't ask to feel like this. I didn't want any of it! Now that I do, I just want it to stop!"
"Oh don't worry…" The shadow grabbed her by the throat and pinned her to the ground. "Soon this will all go away and all you'll feel is the cold depth of eternal abyss."
"Heh…" Vanita laughed sourly. She stared up at her own face, it's former beauty twisted by the darkness; her eyes deep endless pools of inky black, hair slithering around like snake heads, and a toothy smile that was as sharp as razor. This was what she could have become had she not fallen for Terra? This would have been her fate if she'd defeated Venus and taken control? For some reason, knowing that she'd avoided such a fate made her feel a bit more at peace.
"I began in darkness, so it's only fitting that I see my end there…" She felt a single solitary tear slip down her cheek, and it broke her down. "I just wish… I could have seen him one last time." She shut her eyes and her hands fell at her side, giving in.
"Aww poor baby…" the shadow laughed at her. "You know, you could have saved yourself a lot of pain if you'd just accepted that you were never meant to be a part of the light." The tip of the keyblade grew red with a fireball. "You are an embodiment of darkness. No one cares about you, no one will come to save you. You have no heart, you have no friends!"
"That's what you think!" Venus screamed as she swiped her keyblade across the back of the shadow. It let out a horrifying shriek, evaporating into smoke and dispersing. Vanita gasped, both shocked from Venus' sudden appearance, and the release of her throat. She rolled to her hands and knees, coughing for air.
"Vanita!" Venus knelt down to help her sit up. "Are you okay?"
"Venus…" Vanita looked at her with a pained expression. "You idiot, what are you doing here? It's dangerous!"
"I'm keeping my promise, and I'm bringing you home." She helped her up, but Vanita shook her off.
"Are you insane? I told you before, you idiot, I don't belong in the light!"
"Then why are you crying?" Venus reached out and lay a hand on her cheek, wiping a tear away with her thumb. Vanita tensed up and brushed her off with a look of sadness and embarrassment.
"Shut up, I never asked for your help."
"Well too bad, you're getting it." She hugged her tight and closed her eyes. "Like it or not you're my sister. We're meant to be together."
"You idiot…" Vanita sobbed and she hugged her back. "You big stupid idiot."
Venus only smiled and hugged her tighter. While the two young women hugged, Vanita's shadow reformed again, her face twisted in a look of anger.
"The light doesn't belong down here!" She seethed, Venus turned and brought up her blade, prepared to defend her sister. "It needs to be eradicated!"
"Go ahead and try! I won't let you hurt my sister any more!"
"RAUUUGH!" The shadow unleashed the attack, Vanita grabbed Venus getting ready to pull her down and out of the way…
"FREEZE!" … but a powerful ice spell countered the fire, knocking it safely off course. Aqua and Terra rushed onto the scene. Terra immediately went to action, launching a full counter against the shadow to keep it occupied.
"You two okay?" Aqua asked as she approached the two.
"We're fine!" Venus smiled at Aqua, Vanita looking a bit dumbstruck.
"You too? And Terra? Why? Why would you three come here? Are you all stupid?" Vanita stood with help from Venus, her body covered in wounds.
"We owe you, Venus. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have been able to rescue Terra from Xehanort's hold." Aqua reminded her and held out a hand for a truce. "Besides… Venus is right… there is light inside you Vanita. It deserves a chance to shine."
Vanita looked at Aqua's hand, and then up at Terra who knocked the shadow back and away. He retreated a few steps toward the party and gave her a smile over his shoulder.
"You okay?"
"Wha…" Vanita blushed and looked at Venus who gave her a knowing look. "Uh… yeah. I'm good."
"Good… then Aqua, Venus, watch our backs…" He motioned the two women forward and switched places with them. He turned his blade upside down and held it out to her. Vanita look at it speculatively.
"What are you doing here, Terra?" Vanita clenched her fists. "Don't you remember what I did? What I said?"
"Sure I do…" He took her hand and placed it on his keyblade then lay his hand over hers. "You said, come back. Come back to the light."
Vanita's eyes widened in surprise, tears forming as she stared down at their joined hands over his keyblade.
"I did…" she sobbed as the tears spilled down her face one by one. "I didn't think… I didn't think you heard me."
"I did, and thanks to you I found my way back. Now I want the chance to return the favor." He leaned forward to place a kiss on her forehead. "Come back to the light, Vanita. It's where you belong."
Vanita's breath shuddered out of her, her gold eyes fading to blue as light encompassed them both. Vanita's shadow let out a shrill scream and all eyes turned to the source. Terra stepped back and let Vanita make her grand return. The armor which she'd once worn turned into an elegant black and red vestment: An all Black unitard with a red ruffled cape-skirt, gloves, and stockings. In her hand she held a new keyblade, the same intricate cog-design but in passionate red tones. In place of the eye, was a set of black angel wings that spread at the center of the blade, and base of the hilt.
"Impossible…" The shadow sneered as it started to back away. "You're a creature of darkness, your heart is-"
"My heart is whatever I make it, and-" she gave a little smirk as she glanced over to Terra, Aqua, and Venus individually. "-how my friends see it." She whirled the blade around in her hand, crossing to her shadow. "I may have longed for dark power once… but I've been shown a much greater power, and I'd be a fool to give that kind of strength up." She raised her blade up in challenge.
"What power could possibly match the entire dark abyss?" Her shadow spat back, raising her blade up to meet the challenge.
"A power you can never hope to obtain." Vanita gave a war cry and clashed with her shadow form. It was over in a matter of moments, light surpassing dark, the shadow melting back into the abyss where it belonged.
"Yeah!" Venus let out a whoop and rushed across the water to grip Vanita in a hug. "I knew it! I knew you had light inside you!"
"Heh, yeah… but don't think this changes anything." She gripped Venus by the shoulders and waved a finger at her. "I still don't like you."
"Don't worry, you will." She hooked an arm around her shoulders. "We're sisters after all."
"Humph, don't be too sure." Vanita walked with her, her eyes focusing on Terra who nodded at her in approval. "We both want the same man, after all."
"Now that's one battle, you will never win." Venus nudged her playfully. "He's mine, and you can't have him."
"Oh we'll just see about that, sis." She nudged her back, and for the first time in her life, Vanita felt complete.
~Ask Briry~
Hope you guys enjoyed this bonus chapter. If you guys have any requests or suggestions on any additions you'd like me to make on this series be sure to let me know in the comments.
Until next time, KH fans!