I woke up in the trash and got adopted by the local trio.

TW: Vanitas swearing, mentions of neglect/abuse by Xehanort, vomit.

I have no idea how I managed 13 pages without scene breaks.

Please R&R!

xXx-xXx-awaken-xXx-xXx

The only thing he had ever taken on and off at will was his visor and helmet. Everything else had always stayed on, even when Xehanort got sick of him and tossed him in ice cold lakes for a bath.

Warm water was a novelty he couldn't fathom.

There were no issues when he took off his belts and waist cape, but he became increasingly nervous when it came to his boots. He ignored the annoyed looks from the three teens while tramping through the house with his shoes on, assuming his lack of cultural awareness would excuse him for the slight he'd clearly committed.

But he didn't care.

Did he even have human feet?

He had no desire to find out in front of others if he had human skin and features underneath the fibers that protected his body. He had never tried to dispel them, and Xehanort had never encouraged such ventures.

He flexed his fingers before flexing whatever his feet were.

Hayner, Olette, and Pence had been more than fine with leaving him to his own devices in the sandy blond's bathroom as they declared they'd go get food to eat.

How could they eat after being in such a disgusting place?

He shook his head as his stomach rumbled foreignly at the idea of food despite the ever-present feeling of sickness. He took a cleansing breath before bending down to cautiously try and take his boots off.

What if they were part of him?

Yet, with a suctioned pop his leg came out with a perfectly normal flesh toned foot.

He settled his raised leg, almost in wonder at the fact he had another human feature other than his face before removing the second foot. He stood, feeling the cool floor beneath his feet in wonder as he silently marveled.

This is something humans take for granted.

He turned his attention to his hands, which then would turn to the rest of his body.

The fibers that covered him were made of darkness. He had never tried to stretch the material, for it moved with him without resistance. It was almost a part of himself as it protected him from nature's fury.

Not so much Xehanort's.

Vanitas frowned as he decided to try treating his suit as he did his visor. He concentrated on his fingertips, and after a moment the fibers began to pull away in slithering trails up his arms. It was arduous mental work to pull away and dismiss the material, thinking of how human bodies appeared so he didn't hurt himself and knew if something was human enough or not.

He was shaking by the end of it all as he gasped for air in a full bodied sweat. He despised human flesh, it disgusted him to no end for reasons he couldn't fully recall. He coughed once before moving towards the bathing facilities and making use of them. He started with cool water to rinse off before turning it warmer and warmer, easing into the heat of it as it did wonders for his mood.

Who knew coming back to life from the dead could be so exhausting?

Soap, shampoo, conditioner, and a thorough harsh scrub to try and get rid of the feeling of filth later, he felt like a new person. He almost groaned when he finally felt clean for the first time in his existence. He shut off the water, toweled off, and then froze.

What was he supposed to do now?

He stood puzzled and annoyed while toweling his hair when a knock came to the door.

Hayner's voice called, muffled through the flimsy barricade, "Hey Vanitas, I left some clothes next to the door, and when you're dressed we've got food ready, so don't take too long or it'll get cold!"

Vanitas stared at the door, brows furrowed as he had no idea how to respond to the other teen before he heard Hayner walk away and call to the others. He stood frozen for a moment before slowly walking up to the door and pressing his ear against it. Hearing nothing he cautiously opened it, looked down through the crack, and saw a pile of folded black. "Hmph." He crouched down and snatched it out of the hall.

He examined and felt each piece, the fabrics a foreign and new experience before he clumsily put them on. Black baggy cargo pants that wouldn't irritate his over-sensitive skin, a somewhat tight but incredibly soft long sleeved black v-neck shirt, a red belt with silver buckle, and black socks. He looked himself over critically in the mirror before pausing. He squinted at his reflection before pulling back in partial confusion.

His eyes had changed color.

Why had his eyes changed color?

He shook his head before leaving the bathroom behind and made his way towards the three noisy teenagers. Pence noticed him first with a smile, "Hey Vanitas!" The other two turned and smiled.

Clearly, looking like a regular person off the street was more amicable to them than what he normally lived in.

Hayner cupped his chin in critical thought as he looked Vanitas over before nodding, "Yup. I was right. Black definitely is your color."

Vanitas raised an eyebrow. Olette rolled her eyes and shoved the sandy blond before clasping her hands with an awkward smile, "Don't mind him." She moved closer to Vanitas but stopped the moment he tensed at her approach. She took a half step back and beckoned him with her hand, "We didn't know what you might like, so we got a huge pizza with various toppings in divided sections. Hopefully what you prefer is here."

The raven haired Darkling slowly nodded. He'd never actually eaten before. Not to say that he hadn't stolen food and eaten it for giggles, but he'd never been hungry or thirsty. Yet now that he'd revived, something had changed, and he couldn't understand why.

They had been (too) nice enough to wait for him, and with some convincing, he took a few random slices. They each then took their own pieces before they settled in the living room on various pieces of furniture. He took a chair, and after observing them eat a bite or two he began to follow their untold directive.

Pence licked his lips with a swallow, "So Vanitas, do you like computers?"

Vanitas chewed his food in contemplation as Olette sighed, "I really don't think most of the Wielders we know come from places with that kind of technology, Pence."

"They're fine."

Pence's eyes widened, "Have you used one before?"

Vanitas shrugged. To some extent he had a natural dislike for them for… some forgotten reason, but Xehanort had used them extensively. And for the few times he was taken away from the Keyblade Graveyard that wasn't for bathing, it was for the purpose of drilling into him how to use machinery and other more advanced technologies. Enough Worlds had such things that it was foolish to not include how to possibly use them. "Yes. But never for fun."

Pence nodded with a hum, leaving it at that, "I see."

Hayner glanced at a device, frowning, "The others are almost here, guys."

Olette sat up straighter with a jolt, "Oh, right!" She dabbed her lips with a napkin, "I almost forgot we'd planned to meet the others at the Old Mansion. Did you tell them anything?"

Hayner was silent for a moment while reading before turning to her and shaking his head, "Nah. I figure, if Vanitas gave us a warning, that it might be best to not have them meet. I don't know who knows who, and so far I think Vanitas is a pretty okay guy." He grinned at the Darkling, who couldn't help but stare at him with a muted look of shock. Was he an idiot?!

He nearly dropped his pizza before shoving the slightly-too-big piece in his mouth. He chewed as Olette stared at him wide eyed in surprise before sputtering into a laugh. "That seems very unlike you, Vanitas."

The Darkling was slightly embarrassed by his over-reaction, and swallowed with a wince before grumbling, "Well, I've barely eaten anything before."

The mood sank immediately before Pence nodded, "You remind me of Naminé, Roxas and Xion." Vanitas returned his attention to him in annoyance as the other teen immediately tried to placate him, "We don't know everything about them, but they kind of just… poofed into existence, and despite their appearance, they're only what, two years old?"

Hayner shrugged, "Something like that."

"Hmph. If they're two, then I'm only four."

Hayner stared at him with wide eyes, "Wait, so you're like them? Do you come from the same place or something?"

Vanitas paused in deep thought. There was a creeping pain at thinking about who one of those three names were. For some reason, the name Xion struck him vividly. He winced and held his clean hand to his temple, "I- no. Those names don't- I shouldn't know any of them."

Pence set his empty plate down and raised his hands, "Hey now, easy there. We don't want to cause you pain, Vanitas."

The Darkling glared up at him before he huffed and stared down at his food, shoving another bite in his mouth as he grumbled through clenched teeth, "...Right."

Pence nodded before settling down again, "I know we didn't have much of a chance to ask earlier, but do you have a home to return to?"

Vanitas's brows furrowed as he finished off his last piece of pizza. He licked his lips before making use of the paper square he'd grabbed and wiped his mouth with it like Olette had, feeling much better after having done so before clenching it in his soiled fingers, "I was trained in a desert wasteland where there was nothing but cliff sides and dead Keyblades. Unless you count that as my home, then no. I have nowhere to return to, and no one who cares."

All except for these random three kids for some bizarre reason.

(Sora and Ventus too.)

((Though he couldn't fathom why that whispered through his mind.))

The trio was saddened by this information, and he couldn't help but glare at their pity (though, if he were honest with himself, it was a pity) before they tried to straighten their expressions from his obvious annoyance.

Hayner pushed himself up abruptly to get more pizza when the doorbell rang. He froze as panic immediately set in, "My parents aren't supposed to be home for a couple of hours still!"

Olette wiped her hands and moved towards the door, "I'll take care of it, don't jump to conclusions, Hayner."

Vanitas watched them all with hawk eyes. Pence was the most difficult to read, as he seemed to generally operate on calm neutrality. Olette opened the door without any fuss, "Hello?"

A male's voice rang out, "Oh, hey there Olette! These two were worried when you three weren't there to greet us at the Old Mansion and rushed over, sorry about that!"

Vanitas could barely see a tall man with outrageous red hair ruffling the heads of two disgruntled teens around his size. There was one other adult hidden by the man's frame just outside the window that he could see out of, a peak of blue catching his eye as he stared.

The world around him started to fade away as a Memory that didn't belong took over his vision.

Men in familiar Black Coats, the same that he himself now wore. A body barely pieced back together as an elder blond man berated in annoyance, "I created a proper body for him Lord Xemnas! It is preposterous for us to force him to recollect himself with mere darkness! Wasn't the whole purpose of Master Xehanort desiring my skills and knowledge for the express reason of creating Replica bodies to house Hearts from the past!?"

The silver haired man that looked too much like Terra and Xehanort both stared at the disgruntled blond and responded with an empty baritone, "It matters not what we desire. It is as Xehanort has requested. The Heart is incomplete, and the body is in ruin. Darkness sustains him, it is enough, Vexen."

Something was terribly wrong with how he had recollected himself. He knew he wasn't in the correct Time, as his Heart had rode along with a Young Xehanort to harass this dumb Sora kid to fall deeper into the Sleep of Darkness.

Though he still could barely function, his exoskeleton of a body was far too frail.

What physical form he did have though, had no face-

He screamed, clutching his head as he fell to his knees on the carpet. His eyes clenched shut as he ground his teeth and painfully pressed his forehead into the fibers beneath him. These Memories HurtHurtHurt and made no sense! Why did he have them!? His last Memories were of his death-battle with Ventus! Who were those people!?

Vexen had come for him, retrieved him from the random World he'd been tossed to after absorbing the negativity of the screams of children. "Honestly, all of them are fools. This simply won't do at all."

The man was muttering to himself, and Vanitas hated being dragged like a doll, but there was no strength left in him. Even after absorbing so much stored up negativity, just releasing his Unversed all over that World had weakened him to the point of being susceptible to that blue monster's roar. He hadn't been frightened, but his limbs had gone numb.

He had been so close to Ventus's Heart, hidden within Sora.

(Sora had looked really stupid as a cat-thing.)

((Why didn't he have a face still!?))

The blond man stopped when Vanitas stumbled to his knees heavily. He was gasping for air, and he hated this whole endeavor bitterly. Why had the Young self of Xehanort retrieved his Heart just before they were to leave for The Land of Departure? Why was he even here in the first place!?

Vexen sighed softly, and Vanitas fully expected to be abandoned. Yet, the elder blond who seemed pathetically frail lifted him over his shoulders in an unsteady firearm carry. The Darkling growled, but the elderly blond shushed him, "I am not built for physical labor. You will stay silent and still as we pass through the Corridors, and be grateful for the tremendous risk I'm taking for your sake."

"I didn't-!"

He was immediately tutted, "None of that. I made a body for you, and I will place your Heart into it, the orders of Lord Xemnas and Master Xehanort be damned. You will have a functioning body to reside in. I will not tolerate this nonsense any longer! What is the purpose of squandering your strength and abilities if it weakens you to the point of losing your limbs?"

It was then that Vanitas realized half of his fingers and a leg had become nothing but writhing smoky Darkness.

He relinquished himself to the fool's care.

There was a girl's voice, one he vaguely recognized calling to him. There was something wet that had sunk into the fabric on his arm in droplets. There was a distant cacophony of arguing voices that might be outside the entrance door.

He could also sense Pence close by, his aura steady and calm in between the stress and the agitation.

His feelings were writhing inside, clawing at his lungs and bubbling in his stomach.

Nothing could escape him as they burned in his veins and threatened to relieve him of his first small meal he'd partaken in.

He woke up slowly, a weight that had been missing even during his training with Xehanort in his limbs. Something felt more complete about this physical body he slowly adjusted to as his eyes fluttered open. He took in a deep wheezing breath.

"Ah good, you're awake." He shifted his gaze to the elder blond as the man continued, "It will unfortunately take a few hours for you to adjust to that body, as I had no previous Data to upload into the base Replica. My apologies for the slower adjustment period."

A man with blue hair, gold eyes, and an x across his face was observing him passively at his other side, "So this is Vanitas's true appearance."

He startled, and though his limbs felt like lead, he still managed to quickly slap his hands over his face to try and hide his features with a glare.

The blue haired man narrowed his eyes, "Feel free to hide your face from others. It matters not to me, as I've already seen your appearance. It's rather… intriguing how much you resemble the Keyblade Hero."

Vexen shook his head, "I thought I had made a mistake when I'd placed his Heart into that body, and had to ensure I had not somehow used a Replica that I'd uploaded number thirteen's Data into."

The blue haired man nodded, "Understandable. Fascinating that Xehanort would try to take the Keyblade Hero for himself when he already had this boy at his disposal. His appearance alone would have caused great confusion and heartache for the Guardians of Light."

Vexen clicked his tongue in annoyance, "I am far too low on the ladder to know of such things, but Xehanort is keen on finding Ventus's empty body for some unknown reason."

The blue haired man looked to the elder blond for a long moment before shaking his head, "I can stay no longer, but ensure Vanitas is stable. Do not get caught, Vexen."

"Of course, Saix."

He flung out his arm, yet was surprised that it was being held and that the body attached countered his strength and held fast. They- she barely moved an inch, grunting before pushing down his arm, "It's alright, Vanitas!"

He sharply turned his attention to the black haired girl grasping his arm tightly to her chest. He was snarling with teeth bared, "Who the hell are you!?"

She winced but soldiered on, "I'm Xion! We were in the Real Organization XIII together, don't you remember!?"

Vanitas slapped his free right hand over his right eye as pain centered there in lost Memory. He felt a cold sweat break out across his body as understanding refused to come.

A new voice on his other side answered her, "Xion, we did not know your name until just before your Heart was returned to you, your Memory lost with hardly any records remaining of your existence outside of Vexen's notes. You were barely functional, and we referred to you as No. i."

Vanitas shifted his gaze to the now frighteningly familiar face of the blue haired man, immediately catching the change in eye color from yellow to green. "You!" The blue haired man raised an eyebrow at his accusing tone while the Darkling continued, "Who are you!? Why can I recognize your stupid face!?"

The man responded patiently, "I was referred to as Saix within the Organization. However, my name is Isa."

Vanitas squinted at him as he lowered his hand. The pain was receding now, "Okay, Isa. So what was this Organization we were supposedly part of?"

Isa sighed heavily, breaking eye contact with the Darkling before carefully pulling him and the girl up onto their feet, "The second Organization XIII consisted of Master Xehanort, his younger self, his Heartless Ansem, his Nobody Xemnas, Terra possessed by Xehanort, Myself, Xigbar-" Vanitas flinched at the collective of names as the blue haired man plowed onwards, "No. i- or, Xion, Riku Replica, Yourself, Marluxia, Larxene, Luxord, Vexen, and Demyx."

Vanitas slowly felt his body relax before squinting at the man, "That's more than thirteen."

Isa hummed with a vague smile, "Vexen and Demyx got benched as back-ups."

Vanitas raised an eyebrow, "Xehanort clearly didn't trust anyone but himself with how many versions of himself seem to be in that list."

Isa's smile turned dark and malevolent, "Yes, well. Even they fell in the end. Most more than happy to relinquish their losses to the Guardians of Light. His… followers weren't the most loyal of individuals. All but mere 'Heart Tanks' as Larxene would have worded it."

Vanitas grimaced in disgust as his stomach turned, "Even me?"

Isa stared down at him passively, "Even you."

He shuddered and instinctively rubbed his arms to try and wipe away the feeling of that man's Heart shoved inside of his chest as black tar threatened the back of his throat, "Please tell me that fucker is dead."

Isa raised his eyebrow at Vanitas's language choice but nodded, "He was defeated."

Vanitas felt an indescribable relief that weakened his knees. Had Xion not been holding him steady in concern, he would have fallen at the overwhelming gratitude he felt at the man's disappearance from the Worlds. Tears of frustration and relief threatened his eyes as he ground out, "I would have loved to have been the one to strike him down. To even see him perish. It was all I'd ever wanted, to feel his blood on my hands as I ended his life. At least someone finally had the balls to do it."

It had been rather clear that Xehanort had no love for his Apprentice, as he had failed his life mission under his tutelage, but had still been good enough for his extended purpose. For Vanitas to hate his Master so vehemently, it merely proved that the barebones care the boy received upon his retrieval from the past, let alone his rare clashes with the man were deep seeded in a history of hatred. "I see. It was Sora who finished him off, it seems, as I was not present as witness."

Vanitas blinked at that information before a slow smirk spread across his face before he shook. He couldn't help but laugh viciously at the irony.

The boy that Xehanort saw as a thorn in his side, a probable vessel as he'd pushed him further into the Darkness of Sleep.

The boy that gave him his face had finished the Old Man off.

It was almost as good as being killed by himself! Served him right!

Xion squeezed his arm, her body shivering in uneasiness before she quietly spoke out, "Vanitas, please… Stop laughing like that."

Vanitas glared at her with a snarl, "And why should I listen to you?"

Xion pursed her lips, biting the inside of her mouth before she broke eye contact with him. "I just…" Tears began to collect in her eyes, "I miss Sora, and seeing you like this… hurts. I'm sorry." She knew better than to compare similar-looking people.

Vanitas stiffened. If he'd been a cat his back would have been curved with fur puffed, "Sorry for what!?"

Xion ducked and clenched her eyes shut, "That I wasn't enough of a person to be able to do anything for you! Xehanort was mean! He didn't care about you at all, even though you were his Apprentice! That seeing you makes me think of Sora because you look alike! I'm sorry!"

Vanitas pulled back, his rage boiling, "You think I care about that!? My only purpose was to forge the x-blade, and I wasn't even good enough for that! No one cares about my miserable existence!"

Suddenly a hand gripped his shoulder from behind and swung him around, Xion gasping as she released her grip on him. Abruptly his face was filled with Vent- a lookalike as his face met his fist. Vanitas grunted before immediately launching himself at the faker, the blond grunting as he took his weight and flipped him harshly to the floor with his own momentum. The faker gripped his shoulders and slammed his back into the ground, "Don't talk to Xion like that! Is that how you show gratitude for someone caring about you!?"

Vanitas laughed in a maniacal pitch of venom and spit, "Care!? You mean guilt!? No one's ever cared about me as a person! Why would anyone start now!?"

Pence appeared in his vision, face sad as he placed a hand on the faker's shoulder while looking down at him. "Vanitas… I care! Hayner and Olette care! I'm sorry you think you don't need anyone to care ever about you, but we do!"

Vanitas vaguely recognized he was breathing too quickly. Whywhywhy were his feelings bottled up inside of him instead of being released from his body!? He hated those unsightly Unversed, but it was better to feel empty than to feel so much! To kill them over and over so that he could relieve his building stress!

"Because I'm only half a person! I'm a Heart of Pure Darkness! I don't need anyone's care, or friendship, or any of those positive things! I thrive off of negativity and darkness! There's nothing in the Worlds for someone as abominable as me!"

His throat hurt with his enraged yelling (was he crying?), his breathing still too uneven as he suddenly choked on horrible black, and shoved the faker off of him harshly into the nearby furniture before vomiting black sludge.

Everything was toomuch tooloud toopainful it HURT! Why did his fingers burn as they gripped into the fibers, his lungs Hurt, everything was filthy and miserable! Human flesh bodies were too fragile and-!

A different voice broke though as a hand slapped him harshly on the back, "Breath already!"

He gasped and greedily sucked in air with a heavy cough as he snapped to attention towards the tall red haired man who'd struck him. He fell partially to his side as remnant trails of black trickled down his chin, his body barely able to hold him as terror ran rampant in his blood. His mouth moved but no words would come as fear stole his voice.

He was an idiot, making a complete scene of himself!

Thick hands gently grasped his shoulders from behind as Pence spoke smoothly, "It's alright Vanitas. Let's move you over here into this chair, alright?"

No, he didn't want to! He just wanted to crawl through a Dark Corridor and never see the Light of Day again! He hated these people!

Yet, he found himself gently settled into a plush chair, able to unfortunately see the terrible mess he'd made of the place as he felt grey and pale inside. Xion and Olette were missing, as Isa and the lanky red head seemed to be taking charge.

Vanitas went to scrub his face with his sleeve, but Pence gently halted his arm and pressed forward some of the white paper squares, "Here, wipe your face with this. I'll go get you a glass of water, alright?" The Darkling absently nodded and did as directed. Wiping his mouth with shaking hands, before taking other squares to wipe at his eyes, to scrub away the feeling of shameful tears.

He leaned forward and planted his elbows on his knees and face in his hands, groaning.

Isa was observing him, "You threw up like that a few times in the True Organization as well."

He couldn't help his sarcastic grumble, "Oh really? What'd I do, release too many Unversed? Make Xehanort a little too mad and get Thundaga'd a few times by the scruff of my neck? Do tell, since I can't fucking remember!" His throat was absolutely raw.

Isa sighed, "So this isn't new."

He lifted his head with a pained squint, "Not being able to release Unversed is new. The sickness? Old news."

The blue haired man folded his arms and shifted his gaze to the side. Pence returned with a cool glass of water and held it out to the Darkling who took it shakily, "Now drink that slowly. You might get sick if you drink it too fast."

Vanitas rolled his eyes but did as told, not wanting to make a fool of himself again.

Why had he been so chatty, anyway? Confusion wasn't enough of a reason.

Right?

The red head rubbed his chin in thought, "The Unversed, what do they have to do with you?"

"They come from me. They're my negative emotions made manifest."

The man raised an eyebrow as his hand lowered, "You!? Even back before Isa and I became Apprentices?" He rubbed his hair in confused thought, "But that was over ten years ago…?"

Vanitas felt his breath halt and stomach sink before he shot up to his feet and gripped the glass, "Ten years!?" Vertigo set in as he did his best to at least not collapse back into his chair. He stared vacantly at the floor. "Ten years… since the True Organization? Or… or since Ventus killed us both?"

It was at that point that Olette, Xion, and Merlin appeared at the door, just in time to hear his last sentence. Hayner looked at them with wide eyes, while Roxas looked to Axel. Lea looked to Isa, and the blue haired man sighed gustily while massaging his temples, "Over ten years since the Unversed first appeared and disappeared from the Worlds. It's been about a year since the True Organizations' loss and Xehanort's subsequent death."

No wonder the timing of his Memories were jumbled and didn't add up!

Vanitas set the half empty glass of water down on the nearest flat surface and threw himself back into its plush surface, scrubbing his face with a groan.

Merlin cleared his throat, eyeing the black mess on the carpet, "I was asked to take care of an unusual substance with my Magic?"

Lea jumped, "Oh yeah! Hey, Merlin! Sorry to bother you, but like, we have no idea what that stuff he threw up even is. Human's don't vomit tar."

The Old Wizard hmphed as he moved closer to ensure he saw every last bit of it, "True, most people don't just throw up the deepest pieces of darkness the Worlds above and below have to offer." He tutted as he waved his wand, removing the festering sludge from every surface. "Of course, not many people produce monsters from their own bodies, right, Vanitas my boy?"

The Darkling tiredly glared at the old coot, "What's it matter to you?!"

The Wizard chuckled as he approached the irate Darkling, "Well. It's been quite some time since you've been a part of the Worlds. Can't have only Light in them, after all, or the balance becomes unstable."

Olette tapped her chin in contemplation, "But isn't darkness bad?"

Merlin scratched his head with the tip of his wand, "Well. It depends on how it's presented." He turned to the other Keyblade Wielders in the room, "Where do you think Magic comes from? Or even some of your attacks? Are not some of them steeped in darkness of some sort? Cure and Status Recovery Magic are of the few Light based Magics at our disposal that not everyone is even capable of learning! Yet, we make use of Black Magic all the time! Some would consider such things alone steeped in evil, depending on the World you end up in, whereas being able to Heal can be elevated to disproportional heights. So much so that people become drunk on their power, or are enshrined as holy people for such abilities. Do you understand?"

Roxas and Xion nodded obediently, while Hayner, Pence, and Olette nodded while taking the information in at face value. Isa and Lea understood a great deal more, having seen far more Worlds of various sorts on their Missions.

Of course this was old news to Vanitas, as Xehanort loved to speak of the tyranny of the Light and the wisdom hidden within the darkness.

Merlin turned back to the Darkling, "You are a special sort of individual, Vanitas. You and Ventus both."

Vanitas rolled his eyes and his hackles were silently raised, "What, because we're Pure Hearts of opposing forces?"

Merlin chuckled with an absent wave of his wand, "Oh no, dear boy. It is the fact you both have survived. The Princesses of Heart might be an exception, but Ventus is as much of an oddball as you are." He came closer to Vanitas, forcing the Darkling to bare his gritted teeth and glare up at the old man. He did not like his approach. "I know just as much as you how oddly tipped the scales are right now. How so very few of the Wielders now present lack an understanding of the darkness, yes?"

Vanitas's face slowly shifted from wary anger to annoyance, "What of it old man?"

Merlin made a motion with his wand before pointing it at him flippantly. Suddenly his clothing was changed and transformed from mere regular garments to something of protection. He squinted his eyes with a flinch from the light show, but once the stars had disappeared from behind his eyelids, he hesitantly opened his eyes. Slowly confusion struck him. His pants had been left as they were but with added pockets that he knew were enchanted to run quite deep as inventory holders, his belt now also burgundy than red. His long sleeved v-neck shirt was still also the same solid black, yet a hooded vest covered him to his mid thigh with various accents plaid of burgundy, navy, and cream on a black background. His hood was cream lined in black with an unseen Unversed symbol on the outer center, and there were navy strips of cloth over the length of the vest's shoulder seam. Shoes also were now on his feet, simple and black with a burgundy sole.

He instinctively placed his hand on his neckline, and there rested an upside down version of the symbol he knew Ventus and the others wore, and as he tried to angle it to better see, he saw that it was a purple-black in color.

He frowned with a sarcastic sneer, "Am I supposed to be grateful for the new look?"

Merlin huffed, "Well, that is generally the appropriate response to a gift, let alone an enchanted one, but for now I will forego such pleasantries on account of your poor upbringing."

Vanitas cupped his face into his hand tiredly, "So, what do you want from me? A deal? Loyalty? I'm a thrown out tool that's surpassed its purpose. I have no idea why the Worlds even bothered to spit me back out from the jaws of hell and death."

Merlin raised his brow, "Oh, so you know what hell looks like?"

Vanitas paused before slowly furrowing his brow in confused thought, "I… no?" He only remembered black, as if asleep. Vague colors filtered in occasionally along with far away voices, but it was only now, as he thought about it, that there was even anything to recall.

It was all otherwise a big blank.

The Wizard hummed, "Peculiar, for I have. I have also seen the beginning and end of time, the depths of hell and the greatness of paradise within the veil of the Tower of Avalon. I may look and act like this, but believe me boy, it is merely a false display, a ruse if you will, to keep those around me from fear. I am far more powerful than any other Wizard before or that ever shall be."

Vanitas swallowed, ignoring the redhead's confused scratching of his head as Lea asked, "But Merlin, if that's the case, why weren't you more involved in Kairi and I's training?"

Merlin blinked before turning to his student with a chuckle, "Axel my boy, you were more stubborn than an ox when it came to my attempts to teach you beyond your present scope of knowledge, as you saw me as an 'old kook.' Kairi was far more willing to learn, and was a great deal further behind yourself, only to catch up in a flash under my tutelage. After that I had to leave you two to learn to trust one another, considering your less than ideal first meeting."

Axel withered at this with an embarrassed flush, "O-oh, right."

Hayner snickered, "That's what you get for kidnapping teenage girls, you creep."

Axel glared at the sandy haired blond boy before huffing and crossing his arms while sulking. Isa shook his head with a silent sigh at the man's antics.

Xion pleaded in question, "So what is it that you want with Vanitas?"

The Darkling had been waiting for that answer as well, and he felt a few points of respect go to the presently timid girl.

Merlin hummed, "I would like to train him for a time, properly, in neutral Magics. He has talent, but he has been trained in a manner that is not beneficial to anyone, most especially himself."

Vanitas sprung from his chair with a snarl, "I don't need training! Not from y-!"

Merlin sharply turned towards him, and the quiet threatening glint in the old Wizard's eyes silenced him completely. The man's Aura bore down upon him to the point that he allowed himself to plop back down into his chair before the presence left him. Merlin smiled kindly, "There are many uses and forms of Magic. You were made to learn Dark versions of many Magics, however, they are not at their most optimal. You are mostly self taught, aren't you?"

Vanitas was barely able to breathe, but he slowly nodded, "Yes."

Merlin nodded knowingly, "And you don't know how to heal yourself."

"Correct."

Merlin smiled in excitement, "Then I shall teach you Magic from the ground up. It will be arduous and annoying, and I will unfortunately have to seal away all of your presently known abilities, but I do believe you'll not only come out stronger, but more stable from my training. You have a great deal of self inflicted damage, and hopefully that necklace you wear now can counteract some of that… ailment you seem to suffer from. Unlike Ventus, you didn't have another Heart seal off the cracks of your broken one, and Xehanort merely shattered you further."

Vanitas swallowed at the man's knowledge of his situation. Not only that, but he only knew of Xehanort's methods of training, and the way he had seen the others train under Master Eraqus had been weak. He was both bored and terrified of being trained by someone else.

Pence stepped forward, "So you're just going to take him away from us?"

Merlin blinked, "Oh?" He searched the teen, along with the other two who had found Vanitas in the trash. He hummed, tapping the tip of his wand on his chin, "Truly, your concern is commendable. I dare not keep Vanitas confined, but as he has no place to call his own and cannot leave such a burden to youths such as yourselves, I shall place him in my home that is present here, in Twilight Town. I believe that while I am not training him, I shall leave him in your hands when not in school. It would be good for him, and you three can act as mediators to the other Guardians of Light."

Hayner brightened, "Really!?"

The Ventus look-a-like frowned and folded his arms, "I don't trust him to not hurt my friends!"

Merlin chuckled, "Good! Darkness is still darkness, and Light is still light. Both harm and heal in equal measure! It is fine to not trust blindly, but did you not also benefit from the friendship of these three? Digital or not?"

The faker squirmed for a moment before relenting as he dropped his arms to the sides. "Fine." He glared at Vanitas and pointed at him rudely, "I'll be watching you, and if you hurt my friends, you will pay!"

Vanitas leaned back in his seat nonchalantly while crossing his arms, "Whatever, faker."

The blond snarled before yelling, "It's Roxas! I'm not a fake!"

Vanitas raised an eyebrow, "Roxas? What a stupid name! What's with you people and exes?!"

Merlin raised his arms, "Enough of that. No one has enough time in the Worlds to deal with you two bickering over names." He turned towards Vanitas, "Roxas was Sora's Nobody, and you are supposedly the other half of Ventus. If things had turned out differently, your appearances would be swapped."

Vanitas narrowed his eyes while growling bitterly, "That face was supposed to be mine!"

Merlin paused before lowering his arms and raising an eyebrow, "So you have dissociation with your appearance?"

Vanitas nearly spat, "I've come to accept that this face is mine. But Ventus doesn't deserve our face. He's weak. At least this fa-Roxas has a good punch." The ache of his cheek and shoulders he forced himself to ignore was proof Roxas had more in him then his other half.

Merlin sighed with a shake of his head. "I see. Well. If that's all, I'll leave you all to figure yourselves out. Come, Vanitas, I'll show you to your new home. And please, don't destroy my oven like Axel did."

Axel threw his arms out, "That was one time!"

Merlin glared at him, "One time too many, you pyromaniac." He shook his head with a disgruntled sigh and began to walk out, fully expecting the Darkling to follow.

And honestly, Vanitas didn't want to follow, however, he found himself slowly getting out of his chair and staring at the now empty open door. He slowly turned towards Pence, Olette, and Hayner before walking towards the entrance with surprising obedience. Yet, before he stepped beyond the threshold towards the outside World he paused and looked back at them with slate grey eyes that absorbed the warm orange-gold of the setting sun, "...Thanks."

And then he was gone.