Hello,

the next chapter for you :)

I must confess, that I love Roxas, he is my favourite character in all Kingdom Hearts Universe. He isn't the main hero in my fic, but I needed to add a little bit of him somehow ;).

I also didn't rewrite all battles we saw in the final of Kingdom Heart III, because I think it would be a little boring, so I concentrated on these events that were different from the game.

Enjoy.

VI

Aqua didn't know how many days had passed since she had seen him last, and even now she was only seeing the black helmet on his head. She had missed him so much that it was almost painful, but fate, destiny, or any other divine being decided they had to stand against each other one more time.

She tried to see his face through the blackness of the mask or guess what expression he could have at that moment. Did he smirk, that vicious smile he always wore before a fight? Or maybe he was bored, like any time he had to listen to someone who talked too much. In the end, it didn't matter, because Aqua knew she would be pleased to see any of it, to see his face, to feel his touch, to get him back.

But now, on this forsaken land, these wishes couldn't be granted. It was a time when no words but blades had to decide the future of them all.

Aqua looked at Terra and Ven, who stood next to her and nodded. They knew what must be done, what was their purpose and responsibilities. This war could drown all worlds in a sea of darkness, and only them and their allies could stop this madness.

Finally, the one who was with Vanitas came closer and spoke:

"The time has come, everything is set, every piece is on the board, the game is reaching its final round."

"You sound very certain about your victory, but we are still standing," said Terra with confidence.

"Right, we will never allow you to win!" added Ven, battle enthusiasm clearly heard in his voice.

"You won't even see when you will fail," said the man.

Aqua was sure he must be one of Xehanort's versions, however much younger because he displayed the old teacher's attitude.

"We will see…" she said and prepared her Keyblade to battle.

"For fuck's sake, how long are you going to babble?" suddenly Vanitas snarled, and at the same moment in his hand materialized a very familiar weapon. Without any more words, he raised the Keyblade and attacked.

There was only one person truly surprised by his action. Young Xehanort looked with disbelief at the ragged blade that pierced his chest.

"You traitorous snake!" he barked.

"It's all me," replied Vanitas and removed his mask. On his face, a smile of satisfaction was stretched. "You don't know how long I have been waiting for this. Your talking is so annoying."

"How dare you! You will pay…"

"Go to hell!" added Vanitas and with one swift move, he released his Keyblade and cut the opponent horizontally through the body. The young man screamed and vanished in thin air.

Silence filled the battlefield where the three of them stood and watched Vanitas, who turned around to them after a moment.

"So you managed to save that moron," he said to Aqua with a smirk, which deepened when Terra flinched. "When I see his face, I know I'll regret that."

"What is that supposed to mean?" barked Terra.

"That I don't like you, and you should be terribly grateful to Aqua that I won't strangle you in your sleep."

"You are crazy!"

"Did you only notice it now?"

Aqua saw how with each word, Terra got more furious, and Vanitas more entertained. It wouldn't be long for them to see the Darkness in Terra's eyes.

"Enough!" she said and came closer to Vanitas. "You can play later. Xehanort is still alive and Sora needs our help."

She saw an ominous smile on Vanitas' face and she already knew what he was thinking.

"Our help, yes, but his help," Vanitas pointed to Terra. "His help is useless."

"Van! Please stop provoking him, this is really not the best time."

"Oh, come on! Where is the fun in it?"

Aqua rolled her eyes and sighed. Then she came much closer to him and whispered in his ear.

"You will have your fun when we get back home."

Something on Vanitas' face told her that he liked what he heard.

"I will hold you to that," he replied quietly, then added much louder. "Let's go, save the day and that bunch of brats."

And with these words, he walked into the corridor that led to the final battlefield.

"What did you say to him?" asked Ven suspiciously.

Aqua only smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"For his ears only," she replied and also ran to the exit.

She didn't bother to look at Terra's confused face or Ven's full of disapproval. She will think about it later, now they should be focused on the battle.

It was so strange, when they found Xehanort, who was fighting with Sora, Riku, and King Mickey, he became truly furious when he saw Vanitas standing next to Aqua. It seemed his plan depended on all his allies would be defeated, and in that process, they would become part of the new x-blade. But now, with Vanitas still standing, his efforts were pointless.

But it wasn't the strangest thing, right after Aqua and her friends, on the last battlefield came three other people. The redheaded man, Aqua met at Yen Sid's Tower, and with him some girl who looked a lot like Kairi, and another boy. Clothed in a black robe, with two Keyblades in hands, he looked exactly the same as Ven.

"What the hell, am I seeing double?" asked Vanitas, watching the boy.

Ven looked completely dumbfounded and said nothing.

"Roxas!" shouted Sora and ran to them. The Ven's look alike boy smiled a little and nodded.

"We came to finish this madness once and for all."

"And you are? Why do you look like that midget? And why do you not sound like him at all?" asked Vanitas, still watching the newcomer.

"And why do you look like Sora and not sound like him?" Roxas replied with a question and crossed his arms.

Vanitas smirked and shrugged.

"I don't know, I don't care."

"Me either. And we have a bigger problem than that." Saying that, Roxas pointed at Master Xehanort.

"I like that guy," added Vanitas and also looked at his former master. "What now? You don't have enough puppets to finish your plan."

At these words, Xehanort laughed devilishly.

"You are so full of yourself, but in truth, you are so small and short-minded. There is so much darkness in all worlds, your action only postponed my plans a little. I can use that witch Maleficent or one of her minions. But you don't see it."

"I don't think so! We'll stop you here!" shouted Sora.

"Don't fret, my boy, you will live, and that girl too, as my guarantee that our clash will find its conclusion."

"Kairi! Where is she?!"

"Safe, for now," Xehanort added, and at the same moment, from the twelve blades around him emerged strange, black creatures, who attacked Sora and his friends.

Ten Keyblade wielders stood against the last Seeker of Darkness, and the battle began.

"There's more to light than meets the eye. As I have told you," said Terra, when he stood in front of Master Xehanort. All monsters summoned by Xehanort were destroyed and he also didn't have enough strength to wield his Keyblade anymore.

Xehanort looked at the man with disbelief and then said with understanding.

"You sly fox…"

At the same moment, something unbelievable happened. Terra's body began to glow and from his chest emerged a soul that took the shape of Master Eraqus. He came closer to Xehanort and placed the hand on his shoulder.

"Enough. The battle is over. Checkmate," he said quietly.

Xehanort seemed to want to fight back, but after a while, he gave up and dismissed his weapon.

The ghost of Master Eraqus nodded a little and after a second of silence, he turned around to face his apprentices.

"Terra, Aqua, Ven. Forgive your foolish teacher."

They didn't need any more words. All three of them ran to their old master and embraced him with tears in their eyes.

They knew they didn't have much time, so Eraqus said only a few words to each of them. He admitted he had put Ven through a tough experience and had placed such a heavy burden on Aqua's shoulders. And he asked Terra to look after all of them.

In the end, Master Eraqus looked at Vanitas, who stood a few steps away, with boredom painted on his face.

"They will all need guidance through the Darkness, so they won't lose their path ever again."

Vanitas crossed his arms and snorted.

"I'm not interested in that shit."

But Master Eraqus only smiled a little and did not say anything more. He came to Xehanort, nodded to him with agreement and they both vanished into the air.

"It's over?" asked Ven, when the men disappeared.

"Yes, it is," replied Aqua and placed a hand on her little brother's shoulder.

"But what about Kairi? Where is she?" Sora asked, terrified. He came closer to Aqua as if she would know the answer. But rather than saying something, she looked at Vanitas.

"Do you know where she can be?"

Vanitas rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"Of course I know that. There is only one place that old geezer could hide her."

"You know?! Please take me there!" shouted Sora with as much enthusiasm as fear.

Aqua saw the irritation visible on Vanitas' face, but then he sighed theatrically and nodded.

"I'll take you there, but only you," he said, pointing at Sora.

Sora didn't see a problem with it and was ready to go at the same moment.

He felt sick and tired with all this bullshit, but he was ready to accomplish this last quest only to release himself from that bunch of idiots and their meaningless babbling.

And Sora was the worst among them. So naive, so light-headed, without a second thought, he had come after Vanitas through the Corridor of Darkness. How easily Vanitas could kill him at that moment, it would be child's play. But although it was very tempting, he knew that after committing that kind of crime, he couldn't be with Aqua anymore. So he abandoned these thoughts and opened a passage to the grand, bright city - Scala ad Caleum, Xehanort's hometown, and his hideout.

Vanitas spent the last few months between these bright streets and hated this view to the core. It was too bright and too peaceful for his liking.

"Where are we?" asked Sora.

"At a world from the past. It was the home of Master Xehanort and was destroyed many years ago. He had brought it back from the past and had lived in that ghost town all this time."

"You think that Kairi might be here?"

"I'm more than sure of that. This way," he said and led the way through the empty city.

"Do you know why we look so similar?" Vanitas asked after a while, looking at Sora out of the corner of his eye.

Sora shrugged and placed his hands behind his head.

"No idea."

"I'm the piece of Ventus' heart that was taken away. And you're the piece Ventus needed to be whole again."

Sora looked completely dumbfounded by his words. That could be expected.

"When his heart had found a refugee in you, your heart connected with him, and that connection influenced me and my appearance."

Sora leaned his head to the side and looked even more like a stupid puppy.

"It's very strange. But if we are connected by the hearts, it means that we are a kind of brothers," he said with enthusiasm.

Vanitas smirked.

"Something like that, but remember I'm not some shitty copy, I'm a better version of you. Understand?"

Sora rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, don't be such a jerk."

"It is what I like to do the best."

"You are crazy."

"And you're stupid."

Sora only laughed at the last statement.

"You aren't the first person who says that. Riku always reminds me about it."

Vanitas wanted to add another sharp remark about Sora's intelligence, but he spotted the place he was looking for. A small building with flowers at the windows and a blue door with a yellow sign on it. He felt this sickeningly warm light from that place, that made him nauseous.

"She is there," he said with confidence.

"Are you sure?"

Vanitas dismissed that question with a wave of his hand.

"Go, save your princess, and stop bothering me."

Sora didn't need to hear it twice. Without hesitation, he opened the blue door and went inside.

Then Vanitas heard many happy words, but he was sick only from listening to them, so he left an open corridor for them and left this very annoying place. He had much more interesting things to do.