AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I am so sorry to leave you hanging! My personal life kind of blew up recently, and as I was sweeping up the mess I found Chapter Fifteen abandoned in the fallout. I dusted off the debris and fixed a few scratches, but otherwise it's good as new.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER FIFTEEN | FAMILIAR FACES

They hadn't said where they would rally if they had to retreat.

In hindsight, Disney Castle might have been the more obvious option. It was where the plan had been made. Even Destiny Islands might have been a clearer choice; to return back to where they'd set out from.

But Kairi had chosen the Land of Departure. It was comforting and familiar and almost like home. Plus she had been counting on the supplies in her room, buried in the bottom draw of her dresser, only to come up short as she finally stood outside it with Naminé in her arms. The battered door had been taken off its hinges and propped up against the wall. Pieces of the destroyed dresser had been stacked in the far corner of the room and her stash of supplies was gone. It hadn't occurred to her that the others would have had to fight past her barricade to reach her. She wondered how much worse it had looked before someone had been in to tidy it all up.

She placed Naminé on the bed and reached in to her pocket. Empty. The potions must have been destroyed during her fall. It didn't matter. She slid down to sit beside the bed, resting heavily against it. Naminé had woken up during their flight from the graveyard only to be overcome by exhaustion compounded with the lingering darkness in the Lanes Between and had promptly drifted off again. She didn't need healing, only rest. As for Kairi… she was too numb to know what she needed.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Her hands felt too heavy to reach it. It stopped for a while and then started again. Slowly she fished it out just in time to miss Axel's third call. She stared down at the screen, feeling her head loll heavily forwards. It was a struggle to stay awake. The phone chirped with a message from Axel.

Where are you?

Slowly she typed out her response. Her fingers left smears across the screen.

Land of Departure

She must have dozed off because it felt like no time at all before she heard Axel's thundering footsteps. He appeared in the doorway and his face paled several shades as when he saw her.

She wondered how bad she looked.

He got to work immediately, falling to his knees beside her and handing her two hi-potions and an elixir before casting a healing spell for good measure. She winced as she felt the skin on her chest knit back together. Axel ripped the hem of his shirt and summoned a ball of ice, wrapping it in the fabric before passing a wash of flame of it. He used the warm, damp cloth to mop up the worst of the blood.

"Kairi, are you okay?" he asked as he gently dabbed at her neck to wash away the last of it. She looked up at him, mouth open but unable to find the words. Eventually she shook her head. He settled beside her, looping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. She collapsed against him, feeling the potions running their course through her body. They flushed the lead from her limbs and cleared the fog in her mind, but they couldn't shift the weight in her heart.

"I'm so sorry about Sora," Axel said softly. "You know he didn't mean it. He wouldn't-"

"I know," she said softly.

I'd never do anything to hurt you.

She lifted her fingers to her chest. The wounds were gone, leaving little more than pale lines across her skin, but she could still feel them. Worse still she could feel sorrow radiating from the shard of Sora's heart, too small to truly comprehend what had happened but big enough to know it was Very Very Bad and Definitely Not Good. And there was that weight; an unfamiliar sensation that she couldn't find a name for, burrowing deep in to her heart. Axel squeezed her tightly.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I just need to rest." He hesitated; she felt it in the stiffness of his shoulders. She lifted her head, meeting his gaze. "I'll be all right, I just need time." He nodded slowly and squeezed her tightly.

"I'll take Naminé-"

"Leave her be, she won't be out for long," she murmured.

"You can't rest there-"

"I've slept on worse floors." She offered him a half smile but knew immediately that she had missed the mark; if anything his frown only deepened. She sighed. "Please, Axel, I don't want to move just yet. When Naminé wakes up she can help me." At long last he nodded, offering her a tired smile.

"I'll let everyone know that you're here and you're safe," he said, standing slowly. "Call me if you need anything, okay? I'll be downstairs." She nodded, sending him on his way with a murmured thanks. She wished they hadn't had to destroy the door.

Not long after his footsteps had faded and she'd heard the distant whine of a door, Naminé shifted. Kairi lifted herself up to her knees, watching as Naminé grimaced and slowly peeled her eyes open.

"Hey, Naminé," Kairi said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, but okay I think," she answered. She sat up slowly, eyes glancing down to Kairi's chest. The wounds on her chest might have closed and the blood washed from her skin, but it lingered in dark rivers across the front of her dress. Naminé was quick to keep her cool. "What about you?" she asked calmly.

"I'm…" She couldn't lie to Naminé (even if she could, Naminé would see right through her in a heartbeat). Naminé sat up and shuffled aside, pressing herself against the wall and patting the space next to her in the bed. Slowly Kairi moved to sit beside her and Naminé knitted their fingers together tightly.

"What happened?" Naminé asked.

"Sora… he…" Her throat tightened around the words and she closed her eyes, letting her head loll back against the headboard. Naminé squeezed her hand gently.

"Do you want to show me instead?" she asked quietly. Kairi nodded and she heard Naminé take a calming breath before she felt her presence pressing against Kairi's heart. She tried not to watch as Naminé replayed the memory of the afternoon, focusing instead on the memory of Naminé. Eyes wide, hands clasped over her mouth in horror. Kairi checked over her shoulder instinctively, though everything behind her was little more than a blur that vaguely resembled a battle. Naminé hadn't noticed Aced creeping up behind her and yet she seemed utterly horrified by… something…

When it was over Kairi opened her eyes to find Naminé watching her carefully, her trembling fingers still laced with Kairi's.

"Kairi, I'm so sorry," she whimpered. Kairi squeezed gently.

"Did you manage to make a connection to Sora?" she asked before Naminé could press her further. Naminé's face paled and she opened her mouth slightly, though seemed to change her mind. She closed it again and shook her head.

"No, I… I couldn't reach him." She lowered her gaze to Kairi's chest, reaching her free hand to press her fingers over Kairi's heart with a frown. "Something's different. Something… something's wrong." She nodded slowly.

"I know. I can feel it." She swallowed thickly, lowering her gaze to Naminé's slender fingers. "But I'm scared that if I try and find out what it is, I won't wake up again."

"I'll be right here if you want to give it a try," Naminé offered. "I'll keep watch over you, and if anything goes wrong I'll call Axel." Kairi circled her thumb thoughtfully, pursing her lips from one side to the other as she considered it. With Naminé's ability to connect their hearts, she would be able to tell in an instant if something went wrong. And even if she did dip in to the Realm of Sleep, perhaps she could search for Sora if he was lingering there. It didn't seem so scary now that she had an escape plan.

"You'll only call Axel?" Kairi asked. Naminé smiled.

"I have a very incriminating picture of him dressed up in ribbons and lace," she said with a barely-smothered smile. "If he doesn't come alone, then he might just find that I've accidentally sent it to everyone…" Kairi found herself smiling at the thought.

"You'll have to show me one day," she said.

"Maybe later," she answered. "First we need to find out what's happened to you."

They shuffled around a while to try and find a comfortable position. Sitting with their backs to the wall might have worked were it not for the protruding windowsill that was too high to rest on and too low to rest under. Sitting up against the headboard was fine when they were both awake, but it was too cramped for them to risk Kairi falling asleep and tilting the wrong way. Eventually Naminé pressed herself towards the wall to give Kairi enough room to shimmy down the bed and rest her head on her pillow. Once she was settled Naminé repositioned herself to get more comfortable, sitting up against the headboard with one hand holding Kairi's and the other absently stroking Kairi's hair. Kairi closed her eyes, losing herself in the gentle, repetitive motion, and before long she felt the familiar weightless sensation of falling towards her heart station.

There was still a ways to go until it would be fully healed but Kairi was relieved to see visible improvement, though there had been some notable changes. She still stood in the middle, head bowed, but now her hands were spread wide – her right held Destiny's Embrace whilst her left was curled loosely around a ball of light. The outer ring was complete once more, though the circles that were missing had been replaced with gleaming crowns. Four circles sat around her head now instead of three; Sora's was still the most prominent and the closest to her head, mirrored by Naminé on the opposite side, but below them now sat a likeness of Axel and a smaller silhouette of Riku, the only one of the four who was facing away from her. There were very few fissures left now as the majority had been knitted together with threads of light that glistened like scars.

But none of these details seemed to be the source of her discomfort. She closed her eyes, reaching out with her senses. It didn't take long to find the darkness – a sickly presence that didn't belong, though it was difficult to discern its motives. It seemed almost to be hiding, evading her as best it could. She probed towards the shard of Sora's heart, finding it safe and secure and completely untouched, which only made her frown. If this wasn't some sneaky play for Sora's heart, then what was it? She honed in on the dark presence, probing it from all sides. It was an impressive entity made up almost entirely of negativity; worry and despair, loneliness and bitter sadness. She latched on to it, forcing it out of hiding. She felt it speeding towards her and she summoned her keyblade, twisting at the last moment to stare down the shaft at the intruder.

"I should have known I couldn't hide from you."

It was Sora, and yet it wasn't. His hair was black like tar and the spikes in his hair were sharper. Yellow eyes gleamed where they should have been blue, looking so out of place in a face that was so similar to Sora's. His gaze glanced down to the keyblade before jumping back to her face and he released a dangerous chuckle.

"That's right, you never saw my face, did you?" He smirked. "Well let me tell you, yours is a picture."

The voice clicked in to place. In an instant she was flung back to her first visit to the Keyblade Graveyard; to the strange boy in the mask. She glared at him.

"Vanitas," she hissed. "What are you doing here?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"Is that any sort of thanks for saving your life?" he asked. Kairi frowned, trying to figure out when he had ever… Oh.

"Those shadows-"

"The Unversed," he supplied.

"You were controlling them. Why?"

"You really have to ask?" She pressed the keyblade in to his neck and he rolled his eyes. "Fine. If I hadn't intervened, Sora would have done something you both would have regretted. I was the only one who could stop that from happening."

"But why?" she pressed. "Why intervene at all?" Vanitas' jaw clenched and his hands curled in to frustrated fists at his sides. He seemed to be thinking very hard about something, mulling it over in his head before finally saying it out loud.

"Turns out it isn't all that easy to exist without a body," he said at long last. "When Sora was out looking for you he found me and he took me in."

"How did he find you?"

"I was his shadow, I was always nearby," he answered. "Thing is, I'm tired of being a shadow. Sora and I talked it out and he said he'd try and figure out a way for me to become my own person again. No strings attached." She wanted to believe it was a lie, that this was all part of some elaborate plot or scheme hatched by Luxu, but then…

"That does sound exactly like something Sora would do," she murmured. He tilted his head slightly, eyes darting down to the keyblade still pressed against his neck; she lowered it hastily. "Thank you. For saving my life, and for helping Sora."

"That's nice and all, but I'm gonna need more than words as payment," he said. He folded his arms and smirked. "You owe me." Her surprise must have shown on her face because he began to laugh. "What? Did you honestly think I would save you and not ask for something in return? Out of the goodness of my heart? Please. I need a vessel and you're gonna help me get one."

"Sora said you chose to fade away," she argued. "He offered to help you in the Graveyard and you refused. What changed your mind?" His lip curled in a sneer and he folded his arms with a haughty huff.

"Turns out the universe didn't want to let me just exist on my own terms like I'd planned," he said. "I need a body, some kind of vessel to keep from fading away. By the time I'd realised it, Sora was off hunting you down. If he hadn't come along I would have faded away entirely." Now it was her turn to fold her arms and smirk.

"So Sora saved your life," she pointed out, "which means you owe him. I'd say saving my life repays that debt-"

"You'd think so, wouldn't you? Only Sora being Sora he told me several times that he wanted nothing in return. I don't owe him anything, so there's no using his good deed to pay off mine." She huffed and he grinned.

"So what do you want from me?" she asked. "I won't be your vessel, and I don't know how to make one for you-"

"But you know people who do," he argued. "Even and Ansem the Wise, they could make me a vessel. Get me one, and it'll be the last you'll ever see of me. I'll disappear and leave you all in peace."

"And you think they'd just make you a vessel?" she asked. "Why should they trust you?"

"That's where you come in," he countered. "Negotiate on my behalf. They trust you." She grimaced and shifted her weight uncomfortably.

"Not right now, they don't," she murmured.

"Why not? Is it because you nearly killed yourself right under their noses?" She winced and he chuckled." What? Too soon? Relax, they'll get over it. They're probably more focused on their own guilt. If I were you, I'd use it to my advantage."

"I won't," she said firmly. His lip curled in to a barely-smothered sneer.

"Of course you won't," he drawled with a roll of his eyes. "It's like you guardians are terrified that the world will fall apart if you dare take take advantage of it. Then again, I suppose after what happened to Sora-"

"Shut up!" she snapped. His eyebrow arched dangerously

"So the cat has claws," he taunted, though he quickly followed it with a scoff. "Tell me, did you learn that from your Master?"

She swung for him blindly, unsurprised when he deflected the attack with ease. He looked her up and down, sneering with disdain.

"Really? Is that all you've got?" She wrapped both hands around the hilt and dropped her eyes, eyes never leaving his.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of."

He lunged towards her, keyblade darting out sharply. She moved to deflect him but he disappeared, vanishing in a sudden pulse of darkness.

"Pathetic."

His voice came from behind. She threw up her shield in time to deflect an orb of black flames that splashed harmlessly around her as the turned to face him. He was several paces away, strolling casually along a crack underfoot; she tried not to wince as a crunch of glass sent an ache through her chest. He met her gaze, challenging her with that arrogant smirk. She charged, slicing clean through the air as he teleported again. She threw herself to the side on the assumption that he would send some attack barrelling towards her back again, but to her surprise (and dismay) he was waiting. He tucked his keyblade under her chin, leaving her with no choice but to surrender. He sneered down at her.

"I was there in the Graveyard with you and Sora," he said. "I watched you fight and train and surviveagainst impossible odds. I have a very good idea what you're capable of, princess; probably more than you do." He dismissed his keyblade and stepped back, folding his arms as he continued to stare down at her. "If I didn't think you were capable of this, I wouldn't be asking."

"Unless you were desperate," she countered. He shrugged.

"The two aren't mutually exclusive." She glared, pushing herself on to her elbows and rubbing at the spot where his keyblade had touched her skin. It felt cold. "Now do we have a deal?"

She wanted to say no, if only to wipe the smug sneer off his face, but he had saved her life. It also seemed like the only surefire way to get him out of her heart, and the less time he spent there the better.

Still… where would he go? Was there any guarantee they wouldn't have to fight him again? What if he joined Luxu? Not that Luxu needed Vanitas' help if today's displays was anything to go by, but she wouldn't put it past him to try and recruit Vanitas (willingly or otherwise) if only for the chaos it would cause. She glanced up at him; he was still watching her closely, arms folded and eyes narrowed impatiently. She wondered if he could hear her thoughts. An idea came to mind but he gave no indication of hearing it.

"If I get you a vessel," she began, "you have to use it to help us fight for Sora."

She wasn't in a particularly strong position to negotiate given that she owed her life to him, but she did hold all the cards. At least for the moment. And what was the worst he could say? No? She'd be no worse off for asking. To her surprise he chuckled, lowering his arms slowly.

"So you finally play your advantage," he said. "I should've known you'd try it on me first." She stood, dismissing her keyblade and setting her shoulders defiantly.

"Do we have a deal?" she asked as she offered her hand to shake on it. Vanitas considered her for a moment before extending his hand towards her.

"I accept."

"Really?!" Her hand fell away in shock, leaving his hovering awkwardly between them. He scowled and snatched it back.

"Would you negotiate if I said no?" he snapped.

"…No."

"Then I accept," he repeated, thrusting his hand out towards her again. She slowly reached towards him, half expecting some kind of trap, and she was so surprise when he snatched her hand (and shook it rather more roughly than he needed to) that she let out a squeak. He rolled his eyes.

"Relax," he drawled, "I don't bite."

"It's not the biting I'm worried about," she answered. She thought he might have laughed if he hadn't been so quick to smother it behind his usual mask of indifference.

"Just remember, princess, the sooner you get me a vessel the sooner this nightmare ends for the both of us. Believe me; I enjoy being here just as much as you enjoy having me here.""

"Well then I should start working on my end of the deal," she answered curtly. It took her a moment to figure out how to leave, during which Vanitas watched her with no small amount of amusement. When she finally figured it out she fled with such force that her whole body jerked violently as her consciousness returned to it.

"Kairi, are you okay?" Naminé asked, holding her shoulders tightly. Kairi nodded, taking a moment to regain her bearings before slowly sitting up.

"How long was I gone?" she asked, reeling the stiffness from her neck.

"Not long," Naminé answered. "Did you figure out what it was?"

She quickly recounted everything, all of which seemed to come as a surprise to Naminé (Kairi felt a warm mix of relief and gratitude that Naminé hadn't been watching too closely, leaving Kairi with at least a little privacy). When she told Naminé of the deal she had struck with Vanitas, Naminé pursed her lips thoughtfully and considered it carefully.

"I have no idea how we'll hold him to it if he changes his mind," Kairi finished, sagging against the headboard. "I hope that he won't, and that we won't need to."

"I believe in him," Naminé said as if that was enough. Perhaps it was. Kairi smiled slightly at that. "I believe there's more to Vanitas than he's letting on." Thought if she knew what else might be lurking beneath his surface, she didn't share it.

Eventually a loud commotion from downstairs would draw their attention. Several voices were shouting at once, indiscernible among the din; the others had returned, it seemed, though something seemed to be causing a stir. Deciding that there was no time like the present to broach the subject of their unexpected comrade they headed downstairs to where everyone had congregated in the dining room. The door was ajar, and the sheer wave of noise that spilled out through it suggested the room was already full to bursting. Kairi went first, pushing the door open and quickly glancing around the room. It seemed everyone had made it back in one piece, unharmed aside from a few bumps or scrapes. Kairi found her gaze drawn to Axel, though she was quickly distracted by the familiar stranger at his side.

The man was tall and broad with platinum blonde hair cut short atop his head and trimmed in to a meticulous goatee. Piercing azure eyes sought her out, fixing her with a gaze that she hadn't seen since The World that Never Was. The hush that had fallen over the room at their arrival was broken when Axel cleared his throat.

"Kairi, Naminé, you remember Luxord."

More familiar faces! Can they be trusted? Let me know what you think! Reviews are food for my soul.