As per the usual, I don't plan out my stories. They have a tendency to write themselves, and right now I'm having an interesting time with having ideas for Wielders to Master, (Planned) Misfits to Master, and this story all getting free range in my head while I ALSO wish I could draw a mini comic of my FFXIV experience... since I finally figured out my Warrior of Light's personality... which is still me, but it'd be funnier if I could actually... draw it out.

Anyways. I was at Anime Magic! this past weekend (double masking, 'cause that was WAY more people than I've been used to the past year) and uh. Things went down with the hotel Saturday night/Sunday morning. So there's that. Finally, screw the Las Vegas Official Bout event in Fate Grand Order. It was a total slog of suffering. Augh.

Please R&R!

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

He'd been dead asleep (and Sora sadly had to say, as a sleeper who moved a lot, he was staying super still these days,) when Ava woke him up. He knew she hadn't meant to, but she was clearly moving on instinct to go to the nearest person.

It was a good thing he was used to getting a fist or a foot to the face and other random places because of how Donald and Goofy slept, otherwise he might've reacted violently to the way she jumped him.

Jumping wasn't what really happened, but he did not expect another body to land on and bury themselves into his stomach.

Sora blinked blearily as he regained his bearings. He'd been sleeping on the front couch (it was a small one room/bath apartment), so it only took a second to figure out what was happening. There were arms around his stomach and a face buried into him sobbing and he was not ready to handle that. He shifted to see her just slightly better, and realized she was wearing a hoodie of some sort and regular pajama pants.

Which was actually sort of weird, since he'd really only seen her in her Foreteller clothes, even when going to work.

He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, "...Ava?"

She flinched but didn't move, crying softly and shivering while clearly stuck in some sort of Memory, or moment of grief. He flopped back with a light sigh, and put his hand on her head.

Really, he didn't know what to do! He barely knew her!

He stayed like that for a while, and started to even fall back asleep (Hey, the Gummi Ship was sometimes in battle when he had to take a break and sleep!) when she finally sniffled and began to settle down, "Sora?"

She shifted, and then he noticed how wet his shirt was.

Oh well. Magic'll clean that right up.

"Yeah?"

She paused, and he couldn't see her face, but he could guess she was embarrassed as she abruptly pulled back and pulled her arms close to her chest. Ava seemed frozen for a long moment before she slumped, "I- I'm so sorry! I don't… I'm not sure what came over me!"

There were times, when he'd first started on his journey, that he had woken up shivering and weeping as he remembered how Destiny Islands had fallen.

Fighting monsters, literally seeing your World be eaten by the Darkness.

It was a lot for a fourteen year old kid to take in. He'd felt so alone, separated from Kairi and Riku.

Ven might've been a little lonely too.

Sora sighed softly as he pushed himself up and resettled into a more comfortable angle, "You went through a lot, right?" She tilted her head as he continued, "I don't know a whole lot about the first Keyblade War. Sure we fought, but it was practically scripted in Master Xehanort's favor. It was a lot, and I won't say I don't sometimes have nightmares because of it, but… I saw all of the Keyblades that were laid to rest in the Keyblade Graveyard. You… you probably saw a lot of people die, right?"

He'd seen a lot of people die too, but so many of them had returned. It wasn't an end like it had been for those many Wielders.

Ava sniffled and wiped her hidden face with the cuffs of her sleeves, "Yes, I did. So many young people my age… younger, older… Other than maybe Aced and Ira, I'm not sure anyone was even twenty-five yet."

It was chilling. There had been so many different age groups in his experience, as small as they were. He couldn't imagine watching a bunch of his peers die.

"I'm sorry."

Ava seemed to stare at him baffled, "You don't need to apologize. I myself was a leader, responsible for so many of them as they perished because of senseless strife." Ava wouldn't speak of how much she and the other Foretellers had tried to fight against destiny. Their efforts felt cold as lead in her chest due to their infighting.

Sora observed her, "Still… That level of responsibility is just too heavy. I'm sorry I don't really know how to help you feel better, and that you've had to deal with so much alone."

Ava wanted to protest because really, she should be the one apologizing that more couldn't have been done to prevent the Keyblade War he'd been involved in. Somehow though, it felt hollow to reject his sympathy. She relented with a quiet sigh and a nod, "Thank you."

Sora grinned widely, "You're welcome."

They sat in the dark, silent for a long moment before Ava sniffed one final time before asking, "I don't mean to pry but…" Sora tilted his head as she became slightly apprehensive, "Who are you talking to in your reflection?"

Sora blushed. He was so used to just talking to Vanitas now, that he didn't think to hide it. She must've already had some sort of suspicion before she'd approached him that he was talking to someone… though he could've also just been talking to himself.

He rubbed his neck while looking away from her, "...Vanitas."

Ava raised a hidden eyebrow and tilted her head in question, her hand under her chin in a position that seemed kind of cute.

He cleared his throat, "He's.. uh…" Would it be a lie to say this? "My brother." Yup. Believable. Totally.

Ava stared at him for a long time before giggling, "If you say so. Has he been well?"

Sora frowned, "What do you mean?"

Ava hummed, "It's just that you seemed really concerned, and you kept calling for him for the past few days. Uh- not loud or anything! Just… saying his name a lot."

Sora ruffled his hair, "I guess he was sick? I'm not really sure myself, but he was really far into Sleep the past few days."

Ava nodded in contemplation, "I wonder if he needed the Power of Waking, if he was this far into Slumber..."

Sora scrunched into his shoulders slightly, "Oh, uh… Maybe? I don't really know. I uhm… I'm not really sure if I can even do that anymore."

Ava paused before really looking at him, "What do you mean?"

Sora fumbled, waving his hands wordlessly as he tried to figure out how to speak about it. He honestly didn't know how to talk about this, "Well… I kind of… used the Power of Waking wrong? I guess?"

Ava was silent again, but with her face completely overshadowed as it was, it was starting to honestly get a tiny bit unnerving in the dark to try and figure out her expressions. There was a pop, and suddenly a familiar looking cat was by her side as they exclaimed, "What sort of taboo did you commit with the Power of Waking!?"

Sora straightened up with wide eyes, "Chirithy!?"

They pulled back, surprised that he knew what sort of creature they were, while Ava tilted her head with interest and looked between the two.

Chirithy settled after a moment and tilted their head in bewilderment, "You've met another Chirithy before?"

Sora grinned, "Oh, yeah! I met another one of you guys in The Final World!" Ava gasped silently and clenched a hand over her chest as Sora plowed on, "It turned out they were Ven's Chirithy! They were gonna wait for him to pass through since he couldn't remember them anymore, but I really didn't like that idea, and I didn't think Ven would either. So… after I used the Power of Waking to travel between the Hearts of the Worlds to track down my defeated friend's Hearts and rescue them from the Lich Heartless, I then used it traverse my friends' Hearts to track down my friend Kairi's Heart via the instructions that Ven's Chirithy gave me. It was... " He rubbed his neck, "It was kinda complicated, traveling between everyone's Hearts while repeating Time.. or something."

Chirithy was horrified, but depending on the situation at hand, it was an entirely viable option of retrieving Hearts. You'd just have to be absolutely insane, and love the people you were saving enough to do it.

Sora was amazing, but also… absolutely nuts for going through with all of that. It was a literal death wish with the punishment of one's abilities being stripped. One could even lose their Keyblade for committing such taboo's! Yet somehow Sora still seemed to have some level of ability and his Keyblade!

Ava was silent with her own contemplations, thinking through all of the possibilities that could have brought a Ven into the picture. She was hesitant and quiet as she asked, "Sora… is Ven's name Ventus?"

Sora blinked, "Oh, yeah! It is!"

Ava bowed her head, a number of concerning scenarios running through her mind at a mile a minute.

How had Ventus ended up in this era? There was no other way for a Chirithy to outlive their Wielder, unless they both lived within the same Timeline and era.

Sora rubbed his head, "I didn't get the chance to get that close with Ven, but part of the reason for me to learn the Power of Waking was to help wake him up since his Heart was Asleep inside of mine… though I was mostly trying to bring back my Nobody Roxas by using it as well…" So much had happened over such a short period of time, that he was kinda getting mixed up on the details, honestly.

Chirithy tapped a paw to their chin, "...But Nobodies don't have Hearts."

Sora shrugged, "Roxas had one- he definitely did before he was made to rejoin with me." It hadn't been fair that Roxas had needed to sacrifice himself just so he could wake up.

Chirithy held their head with both paws, "That's just- that's not how things work though! Not normally!"

Sora just smiled helplessly, "I make a lot of impossibilities possible, I guess?"

Chirithy huffed and plopped down on their backside with their paws crossed, "Sure seems like it."

Ava slowly nodded, "So… are you looking for a way back home?"

Sora blinked, "Oh- well, I mean. That would be really great if I could go back home! It'd be nice to actually get to know everyone… Roxas, Xion, Ven, Aqua, Naminé...To know if the people who were used by Xehanort were able to become recompleted again. I just… I just have so many questions!" He raised his hands above his head in frustration as he looked up towards the ceiling with a quiet growl. He slumped, dropping his elbows onto his knees and cupping his chin in his hands, "There's just so much left unsaid and done."

Ava felt sympathy for Sora's situation. He was a literal ghost in a foreign World that was different from the Worlds they hailed from, and now he was having to live with the only person who could interact with and help him. She was a total stranger.

It wasn't the worst thing of course. His blatant weakening and depression while wandering the streets was worse, but he was still weak.

He was still, mostly, alone.

She also didn't know, even if she brought him back to the other side, if he'd be able to stay anchored there.

His situation had too many unknowns… but she wasn't a Foreteller for nothing.

She would help him get his way back, and maybe, she could find some answers herself.

Ava had a lot of things unsaid, too.

xXx-xXx-awaken-xXx-xXx

Vanitas was staring out towards the horizon, his legs dangling over a cliff with his Flood in his arms as Naminé sketched. She was frowning unbeknownst to him, as she drew one picture after another of Destiny Islands.

She set down her sketchbook in her lap and observed Vanitas for a long while before finally asking, "What's on your mind, Vanitas?"

He blinked sluggishly before turning towards her, "Huh?"

She was watching his every movement, "It's just… All I've been drawing today… all I've gotten from you, are images of Destiny Islands. I didn't know you'd been there before."

Vanitas was blank for a long moment as he absorbed that, "I've only been to the Play Island once. To mess with Ventus and make him remember how we became split." And regretted it shortly thereafter when he'd gotten a shared splitting headache from his unwitting brother, and vomited pitch black in response to the overload.

Fun times.

Naminé tilted her head slightly with a small frown on her face and a furrow to her brows, "Do you want to go there?"

Vanitas shifted and got to his feet before making his way over to her. He sat down next to her, glancing at her final picture before sighing gustily, "Maybe? I think Sora's really homesick, and I think I'm Dreaming his Memories of the Play Island. And…" He was hesitant for a moment, "And maybe… of his family? A little? It's all… weirdly shadowed, like he himself is slowly forgetting about them."

Naminé leaned back and looked towards distant clouds in concern. There really wasn't anything she could do for Sora, wherever he was. But that was really worrisome to think about, "...Do you think he's aware of that?"

"No. And I'm not really sure if that's the case."

Naminé nodded. It was one thing to verbalize a suspicion, but there was no point in causing alarm unless it was known. She would have to try and follow the Chains further, "...Maybe I should spend the night for a while." Vanitas looked to her questioningly as she elaborated, "You connect to Sora in your Sleep. Maybe if I'm nearby, when it's more natural, I might be able to trace more in the direction of his Memories of home."

Vanitas nodded silently, finding that to be an acceptable line of thought.

"Though… it would also be worrisome if he was unintentionally dumping his Memories into you."

Vanitas shuddered and shook his head, "No. That's not what's going on here."

Naminé nodded, "It was just a thought."

Vanitas clicked his tongue, "One you could trace by seeing if his "chains" or whatever were littering mine."

Naminé raised an eyebrow and looked at him, "Oh. I suppose there's that too."

Vanitas huffed before slouching slightly. "...I definitely hope it's not him dumping Memories."

Naminé smiled slightly, "Well. That, or maybe it's to help give you building blocks?" Vanitas looked to her in confusion, "Roxas doesn't like to talk about it, but Xion told me they both realized that although they don't really have the scholastic knowledge to go to school here in Twilight Town… they do have the necessary knowledge to continue schooling where Sora left off in Destiny Islands. They're being tutored by Kairi's father to catch them up, but they're going to start there for the final year of high school." She paused for a moment, "I guess it's sort of common for boys to drop out to join the fishing industry and help their families."

Ah, so that's how they could explain their lost years of learning.

Vanitas nodded slightly, "...I guess. Maybe. I certainly never had a childhood to fall back on… and... Ventus didn't remember his. We both ended up with amnesia."

Naminé nodded slightly.

Vanitas was silent for a moment before he mumbled, "I'm actually not sure even if he remembers his childhood." It was as if he'd appeared from thin air at that age.

Naminé glanced at him, a mesh of unexplained and uncomfortable feelings running through her at that comment.

A male voice called from a distance, "Heeeey! Naminé! Vanitas!"

Vanitas immediately shut down in slight confusion and stood, looking back towards the vaguely familiar voice in the distance.

People weren't supposed to be able to just… come here!

"Heeeey! Can you guys hear m-oof!"

"Stop yelling Hayner!" Oh. That was Olette.

Naminé glanced at Vanitas before they started to walk towards the voices. Soon enough Hayner, Pence, Olette, Roxas, and Xion were coming their way. Vanitas couldn't help but scowl at them all- this was his private sanctuary, and people couldn't just walk in like they belonged there! "How the hell did you all get in here? Who let you in?"

Pence chuckled at Vanitas's attitude while Roxas and Hayner scowled at him. Olette and Xion were a great deal more apologetic as Olette lifted a familiar looking grocery bag and spoke, "We asked Merlin if we could visit! He said outside was a bit much, so we asked if we could join you… wherever here is!"

Fuck you Merlin, give a guy a warning!

Vanitas huffed and crossed his arms. There went his pleasant mood.

Olette lowered her bag and gave him a contrite smile, "We've really missed you, Vanitas. We don't really know what's going on and we're concerned."

The Darkling sighed heavily and gave up with a roll of his eyes as he meandered back towards the cliffside.

That was about as good of a response as they were going to get.

Olette smiled. Merlin had warned them all that Vanitas may not take too kindly to being intruded upon, so it really wasn't that offensive that he'd been so defensive.

Naminé smiled at them all awkwardly and tilted her head in greeting, "Hello everyone."

Roxas and Xion smiled at Naminé with their own nods of greeting as he responded, "Hey Naminé. Good to see you again."

Xion grasped Naminé's hand and followed Vanitas's lead. Soon enough the whole group was settled at the cliffside, passing various flavors of ice cream down the line. Vanitas refused to touch the Sea Salt ones, and Naminé rolled her eyes from his opposite side as Xion passed them along with a snicker. Thankfully, Naminé enjoyed Vanilla Bean just like him, so he could focus in her direction to block out Xion and the others who loved that vile blue monstrosity.

None of them spoke, simply enjoying each other's presence while eating ice cream. Eventually, Vanitas's annoyance completely settled with them as his Flood took front and center in his lap for being the biggest pain in the ass. They kept nudging him just so to ask to check out the ice cream, but Vanitas was greedy. He wouldn't let the little beast have even a droplet off his fingers.

They eventually got the message and slumped down in his lap, a sad curve to their little red slits for eyes. Naminé almost laughed at them, but managed to hold herself back.

Hayner leant back, "So Vanitas, how's your training been going?"

Vanitas licked his lips as he kept his eyes on the final pieces of his treat, "Going."

Pence chuckled, "Have you been eating well?"

The Darkling frowned, "...Mostly."

Naminé poked him lightly in the thigh, making him focus on her as she rolled her eyes as his one word answers.

Vanitas clicked his tongue and started to lick at the droplets on his hand. He didn't give a shit.

Xion kicked her legs back and forth, "I heard that Aqua and Terra had been by the other day?"

Vanitas frowned while Naminé winced. The Artist had been told about the incident with Marluxia and Larxene's somebodies- moreso because of her history with them than necessity. Isa had already been in contact with Mar- oh right, Lauriam for a time, so it was inevitable that Larxene would show up.

She needed to confront them. It was something she would have to face to move forward and become stronger.

Vanitas scowled, "Yeah."

Xion smiled wryly. Vanitas's dry attitude and blatant annoyance was just as Naminé described their initial conversations, but she already felt that he was a little endearing in his own way. She could understand why Naminé put up with him most of the time, "Did you hear anything about Ven?"

Naminé grimaced while Vanitas went from having an immediate negative reflex about this Other, to confusion. He tilted his head, "...Should I have?"

Xion blinked while Roxas and Naminé observed him in slight confusion. Roxas spoke, "They didn't say?"

His memory about what happened when Elrena had attacked him was… sketchy. He wasn't sure if it was due to his panic or what, but he wasn't entirely confident about all that'd been discussed that night. "...No?"

Xion hummed, "Ven and Kairi went to Scala ad Caelum to learn about his past."

Vanitas squinted at the horizon. Something about that seemed familiar. Ah, right. Terra had almost told Lauriam of all people. What an idiot. "Oh. Yeah, Terra had started to mention that."

Xion held a hand to her chest as she looked out, "I hope they'll be alright and come back soon."

They all nodded, even Vanitas unintentionally.

Naminé contemplated for a moment, "Hey Xion? Roxas?" The two looked at her as she continued, "Since Kairi isn't here to ask… do you think you'd be willing to take Vanitas to Destiny Islands for a day?"

Vanitas stiffened as Pence leaned forward to look at him, "You wanna go to Destiny Islands, Vanitas?"

The Darkling flushed slightly. Somewhere between mortification and anger. Somewhere between being grateful and petrified as he growled through clenched teeth, "Naminé!"

Naminé looked up at him imploringly. Her eyes were practically shining with how the sun was making them glimmer to the point that she looked ready to burst into tears.

For some reason he couldn't stand the thought of her crying because of him, when she was just trying to help him.

He sighed gustily, "Kind of?"

Roxas raised an eyebrow, "Kind of?"

Naminé harshly tapped Roxas's ankle with her foot and he winced with a tiny yelp. She nodded and swung her legs back and forth, "I'd kind of like to catch up with Kairi's father myself, since she sends me letters from him."

Vanitas wanted to be annoyed that she was butting into his business, but he didn't have friends. Sure he would say he was warming up to the idea, but Hayner, Pence, and Olette couldn't get him off-World. Only the Keyblade Wielders could. Well. And Merlin.

Vanitas huffed as he spoke in monotone, "...I would appreciate it if you guys could get me to the Islands."

The others turned to him and stared at him with blatant shock. Vanitas flushed, scrunching into himself while glaring into his lap. Merlin was teaching him manners! He could learn to ask things instead of just demand!

Olette covered her mouth as she smiled, "You've grown a lot, Vanitas!"

Vanitas slumped and crossed his arms over his Flood with a pout, "Fuck you guys."

Olette gasped and waved her arm at him, "Don't be like that! I'm not teasing you!"

Vanitas glared at her, a hefty amount of suspicion clear in his eyes.

Olette pouted, "Come on Vanitas. It's just kind of out of the blue!"

Naminé and he both knew why he wanted to go… but he wouldn't explain that.

Hayner sniffed as he sat up proudly, "It's part of the friendship initiation anyways!" They all turned to him in confusion.

Pence tilted his head to the side, "Huh?"

Hayner grinned and pointed his thumb to himself, "The three of us have been to the Islands to play, even though we aren't Wielders!"

Pence hummed, "Aah, you're right."

Vanitas scowled, "I've been to the Islands before too!"

This got everyone's attention on him. Naminé watched him with concern as he immediately fumbled mentally.

He shouldn't have said anything!

Vanitas scowled, "It- it was a long time ago. When you all were still practically babies."

Now Naminé was really staring at him.

Vanitas sighed softly and relented, "It wasn't long, and I only went there to mess with Ventus. That's all. Didn't really see the place."

But he had. He'd scoped it out to find just the right spot to make his dramatic revelation and taunt Ventus into fighting.

It'd gotten him killed instead of total victory, but at least he'd had fun, right?

"Okay." Vanitas blinked and turned his attention to Roxas as he elaborated, "I mean… Anyone who's ever been connected to Sora ends up there one way or another anyway."

Vanitas blinked. "Oh."

Roxas hummed, "But… maybe we should do something to hide your appearance? Just so no one thinks you're Sora, y'know?"

Vanitas observed him for a moment before looking out towards the horizon, "No."

Roxas was surprised, "...Are you sure?"

Vanitas was silent for a long while before he finally responded, "I'm not going to hide who I am. It's inevitable that I'll be mistaken for Sora in any of the Worlds he's been… but Destiny Islands is his home. They'll have to learn how to differentiate between us eventually."

Xion's eyes widened, "You sound really confident." More confident than they'd slowly become in finding their friend.

She really missed Sora, and wanted to speak with him. Her chest ached at the thought of never having that chance.

Vanitas looked at her, an unreadable expression on his face, "I don't have to be confident when it's the truth."

He knew one day Sora would find his way back one way or another, no matter how impossible it seemed.

Sora had so many connections that wanted him to return.

Including him.

xXx-xXx-awaken-xXx-xXx

Lauriam was tired. He really was, after everything that had happened to him in the past couple of years of his life.

Elrena kicked a dusty piece of ceiling that was on the floor, "So why are we in this dump again?"

He smiled wryly as he glanced around the strange Old Mansion in Twilight Town. He'd looked the place over minimally before, but after noticing all of the strange Unicorn motifs, he'd been reminded of Master Ira and had decided he did not want to be here.

At least. Not alone.

"There are some curiosities about this mansion that I'm intrigued about."

Elrena snorted before regretting it, suddenly scrunching up her face before sneezing into her shoulder, "Augh!"

Lauriam chuckled softly before he turned and began to make his way around the mansion. Elrena pulled out a kerchief and covered her nose as she began to sniffle, "This sucks."

She followed him around, grumbling under her breath as they went. He would have gotten tired of such things if they were in a normal situation, but it was an odd comfort that he couldn't help but to be grateful for as he explored. They found the computer set up and the strange transporter that no longer functioned in the basement. Sora's old data still running on the other screens.

It was rather creepy, if he were honest.

They traveled further, and he used Divine Rose to create light as they went further in. White flower-like pods littered the haunting white hallway, and Elrena shivered, "This place gives me the creeps!"

He agreed wholeheartedly.

They came upon the largest room in the basement, clearly constructed like one of Naminé's rooms in Castle Oblivion, a large open flower-like pod that had been meant for the Keyblade Hero to fully enslave him to their will.

Lauriam shivered at his Nobody's machinations.

He stood hypnotized for a long while until Elrena crossed her arms in boredom, "Lauriam."

He sighed gustily, "Yes?"

Elrena monotoned, "Let's move on."

Lauriam nodded slowly, acknowledging what was left unsaid.

There was no point in marinating in past mistakes. He would have to move on, but he would acknowledge his past grievances.

It was truly a miracle that Sora seemed to be genuinely happy that he would be recompleted.

He wanted to meet the boy who had defeated him twice over.

Lauriam nodded to himself one last time before they made their way back up to the main floor. He searched around a little further before moving to the upper floors. Most of the rooms were either in more recently used condition for one reason or another, or completely wrecked.

And then they found the room that seemed to have almost been taken straight out of Castle Oblivion.

Pure white walls, floor, and furniture. It almost made him sick to be transported to that Castle that he was Lord over. He swallowed thickly as he found himself entranced and walked in, his palm slick with sweat as he gripped his Keyblade.

Pictures littered the walls with Naminé's drawings. An incredible amount of time had passed as she drew, images of Roxas, Axel, and Xion littered the walls. Images of Sora. So much had happened after his defeat.

Elrena seemed to also react to the images, though she hid it well behind indifference and crossed arms.

Her sleeves and knuckles gave away her disquiet.

"How strange for us to meet like this."

Lauriam jumped at the girl's voice as he turned with wide eyes.

Naminé stood at the door, a sketchbook clutched tightly in her hands with some pencils.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she was determined to move beyond what their Empty Shells had done.

Elrena frowned at her, "What do you want?"

Naminé kept her eyes on Lauriam, ignoring the worst of her tormentors.

Chains that had been just out of grasp had aligned. She could feel them now, and they wept with terrible sorrows.

Vanitas pulled her aside the moment the others left.

"Naminé."

She glanced up at him, unsure of what to think of his approach. He'd nestled her perfectly into a corner and it was a bit… much. "What is it, Vanitas?"

He made a number of unsure expressions, clearly weighing his options and whether or not his words would be taken wrong. "Let me devour you."

Naminé blinked, and as the words sunk in she blushed and scrunched into herself nervously.

Vanitas immediately realized he had phrased it wrong and blushed terribly. He took a quarter step back out of her space, though he was still definitely crowding her, with his hand on the wall to block her. "That's not-" He fumbled, "That's not what I meant to say… but it is."

Naminé frowned, trying desperately to understand, "Explain."

Vanitas winced, "I… I'm a being of Darkness." She nodded as he continued, "Your… fear? Nervousness? Your negative feelings spike when Lauriam and Elrena are mentioned. You're terrified of them, you're angry at them for what they did to you and the others… but you also feel sorrow for them. Sympathy for their situation."

Naminé's eyes widened. He could sense that much?

Vanitas watched her, "Am I wrong?"

Naminé shook her head, "You're… You're right."

Vanitas leaned down close to her, making her flustered. The look in his eyes was hungry… Hungry like a predator stares at their prey. "Let me devour your negative feelings for them so you can have the courage to face them."

She felt her breath freeze in her lungs. "How does eating my negative feelings give me courage?"

The smile that crossed his face was hungry, seductive, and destructive all in one, "Because if you're empty of fear and uncertainty, you can face the things you so desperately want to."

Naminé almost wanted to cry. She wanted to face Marluxia and Larxene for what they'd done to her, but she was just a weak hearted girl with non-offensive powers. She couldn't protect herself!

His expression shifted to kindness, and it was so very strange as he cupped her chin with his thumb and finger before shifting her face just so to kiss her on the forehead.

And suddenly all of the murkiness in her Heart was gone.

Naminé took in a measured breath. Roxas and Xion were on either side of the door, Keyblades out and ready if she so much as winced. They were ready to protect her, she wasn't alone.

Vanitas had cleared the air for her, the cobwebs in her Heart had been so easily swept away.

Naminé didn't know if Vanitas had known he could do what he had before doing so, or if it was pure instinct. She would have to ask him another time. And scold him. Definitely scold him for the way he'd gone about it. She was still flustered thinking about the whole thing!

"...So your name is Lauriam?"

He nodded, "Yes."

Naminé glanced at Elrena, and then moved, sweeping by her and pretending she was merely a statue as she made her way back to her old seat.

It was a tired affair, really, but she had these powers. She could use them in more than one way now.

Sora was truly a marvel in how he connected to others.

"Please sit, Lauriam."

The man frowned, glancing at the empty seat closest to him before he dismissed Divine Rose, hesitantly pulled out the chair, and sat. He folded his hands in his lap, "What is it that you want to do?" He was familiar enough with her powers after all.

Naminé ignored his question for a moment and stared at her sketchpad before speaking, "Elrena, stand behind him."

Elrena scowled and went to speak before Lauriam cleared his throat pointedly. Elrena clicked her tongue with a scoff and rolled her eyes before doing as requested. She stood, annoyed and happy to show it behind Lauriam's right shoulder.

Naminé glanced up and nodded to herself before settling the sketchpad onto the table, "You both lost your past. At some point before becoming Nobody's, you lost all of your Memories. The make-up of what made you, you, correct?"

Lauriam nodded, "Yes."

"Your past is also somehow connected to Ventus and Vanitas."

Lauriam was quiet for a moment before he replied, "...Yes."

Naminé glanced down at her sketchpad and got herself comfortable before she began drawing, "Talk to me about it."

Lauriam's eyes widened, "Huh?"

"I won't peer too far into your Memory. Your connection to Sora isn't strong enough for me to look very far, but the two of you also have incredibly weak Chains of Memory. Something happened to you both, to sever you from your youngest Memories. Ventus is the same." It wasn't her business, and she didn't want to pry. Now she wished she had, and she would the next she saw Ventus. Vanitas had pointed out the lack of childhood, and it was the same in this case. It was more than just Ven.

Lauriam frowned, "...I had a sister I was looking for. Elrena was helping me."

Naminé glanced up at him with a pointed look, "How far back do you remember?" She continued sketching.

Lauriam grimaced before he bowed his head in thought. "...I can only recall back as far as the later half of my fifteenth year. My sister and I were always alone together… and for anything else further back…" He furrowed his brow, "I only recall flowers."

"Were there others like you? Who couldn't remember their parents or where they came from?"

Lauriam looked up to Naminé in surprise. It had been a sensitive subject once, between him and his little sister. At first, after they'd moved into Daybreak Town and became Keyblade Wielders, she had wept about missing their family.

But eventually, like many other children who seemed to be either runaways or orphans, they forgot all about their past. All that they remembered was the initial ceremony for their Keyblade, and gaining Chirithy as a companion.

"...Yes. Many Wielders could no longer recall their past after the first six months to a year. No one really seemed to mind it, either."

Naminé was silent for a long moment, "You took after your mother."

Lauriam jolted, he couldn't even picture the woman.

"Your sister took after your father. They ran a flower shop until they fell ill with consumption."

Was that what had happened?

"You took your sister at the first sign of it and ran. You both traveled for a long time before you ended up in that Town and became Wielders. Your childhood was otherwise a good and peaceful one."

That felt right.

Lauriam felt cold, "How can you see this?"

Naminé was silent as she drew for a few moments, "They are the farthest links that are incredibly brittle… but they help to explain the foundation of your connection to flowers. The flowers rejoice when you are with them, and they are what revitalizes your sister's Memory within you."

Lauriam breathed out shakily before really looking at Naminé.

Yet the Artist continued, "They may even be what brings her back to you."

Lauriam gripped his knees, "What?!"

Naminé finished her drawing and stood. There was so much to sketch. Vivid images of four others in a room that felt heavy with burden. Hearts that she felt tenuous connections to.

Ancient wills and whispers as the Keyblade Graveyard had spoken its jumbled secrets to her within Kairi's Heart.

Need some help?

She slowly walked across the room and placed the sketchpad within his reach and pushed it forward, "I don't know how or if you'll ever see that "flower" again, but the possibility exists. Her presence is strong in your Heart, so search yourself for the Memories of Strelitzia."

Lauriam was frozen. He could scarcely breathe as he was suddenly bombarded with moments between them.

You're already done for the day?

I'd like to become strong too, so I can carry you on-

I don't like them like that! Mou~!

Brother…

Where has my kind of loving brother gone?

Lauriam covered his face. Shame, guilt, regret. Pain, anger, worry.

Ventus, I can't lose you too.

Lauriam didn't know what to do with himself.

It was me, I killed her.

N-no! It- it wasn't me! It was-

I just made his wish come true. It didn't matter who it was, so long as it helped to grant his wish.

It'll be alright Lauriam. I'll protect all of you.

He gasped as he tried to hold back from wailing. Lauriam still didn't know what path to take or how to come to a resolution. Whether it was in the past after understanding that Ventus had been used, or now, now that he himself had committed so many sins for paltry reasons. He hadn't been able to understand himself anymore, and he had been so easily twisted. Lauriam wasn't sure who had committed the greater sin. Being a puppet, or purposely harming others to create a puppet?

Truly, after being recruited by Xigbar, his knowledge of himself was that the Keyblade was once his, and it should be his again. The reasons why, the ideal of protecting the Worlds and those he loved had ceased to exist.

All he'd known was the throbbing emptiness in his chest that kept him awake well into the night as he slowly forced himself to sleep.

Elrena was gripping his shoulder and calling his name, "Lauriam!"

His head snapped up, looking to Elrena as he noted that Naminé had returned to her side of the table, sketchbook in hand as she drew swiftly.

Her drawings were childish already, but she seemed to be drawing simple vague outlines and moving on to the next page. Her concentration was intense, yet she was determined to draw as much as she could from what she sensed from him.

"...Elrena." He felt and sounded so broken.

Elrena sighed, and a spark of the way she had been when he'd first met her bled into her features, "Finally. You finally heard me."

Lauriam sniffed and wiped his eyes, "I… my apologies."

Elrena pulled her hand back and returned her attention to the girl across from them.

Finally the pencil stopped scratching, and Naminé exhaled tiredly, going so far as to lean back into her chair and slide into it as she slouched. "Tell me about the five of you."

Lauriam frowned, "...Are you not done sketching?"

Naminé smiled wryly to herself, "I am, but I want to make sure I understood what I felt. Tell me about Ephemer first."

Lauriam's eyes widened, "You know their names?"

Naminé looked to him, a fond look on her face, "If you knew their names in your Memory, then yes. I can learn of their identities too."

Lauriam glanced down, thinking for a long moment before sighing lightly, "Ephemer… he was a wonderful leader. Charismatic in a way the rest of us simply weren't. He was more than likely one of Master Ava's first recruits into the Dandelions. A leader through and through, even though he never felt sure of our decision to make him the head of our five."

Naminé nodded as he continued, "I trusted Ephemer's judgement, and he allowed me to be mostly absent while I searched for my little sister. He took care of my duties along with his own. He did a great deal for my sake."

"I see." Naminé glanced to the side, "And Skuld?"

He smiled slightly, "She was… I suppose the sisterly type? She was, however, strong. She was a great deal like Ephemer, and got along well with everyone in our small group."

"And Brain?"

Lauriam chuckled, "Brain was definitely… the brains of the group. He prodded us along gently, helped to guide us all in his own way. He was closer in age to me than the others, and he truly saved us. I trusted him wholeheartedly, and he was a calm mind in a sea of trouble."

Naminé was silent for a long moment, "And Ventus?"

Lauriam stared at the painfully white table before him. "...I… I didn't interact with him much, but I knew he was kind, and gentle. He didn't like the idea of Pride Shift, which was a way of having Keyblade Wielders fight one another, except as digital copies. Now I think I can understand why, even if he himself didn't know then, either."

Naminé nodded, "Your ties with him are in shambles, but they're still there. They began to mend when every time you spoke with Roxas, since he took on Ven's appearance, instead of Sora's."

Lauriam closed his eyes.

It was true. He'd felt no animosity towards Roxas, and had even… dare he say that he felt relief when he met him?

Did you make it to this era as well, false child?

Lauriam shook his head, "He was too young to be used to murder my sister."

Naminé stopped.

The connection, the chains all came together from their bundled heaps of shrapnel.

Vanitas was the one who had been "other."

He was correct in calling himself a monster, but he had not had a Heart then.

Vanitas did now, though. He was changing.

He had to be given a chance, to be human, and to learn how deep of a sin it was that he'd committed.

"I see." Naminé stood, "I've learned a lot today, as I believe you have as well. ...I have a request, Lauriam."

Lauriam looked up towards her in slight confusion, "What is it?"

Naminé pursed her lips for a moment before nodding to herself, "The girl, Skuld. She has connections to Lea, Isa, and Ventus. Would you search for her, with your Keyblade and Heart?"

Lauriam straightened before cautiously standing in his chair. He smiled slightly, "That had been another mission on my agenda, so yes. Of Course."

Naminé nodded, "Then I wish you well on your future journey, and may you return with an old friend. For you and them as well."