A/N: IVE BEEN WANTING TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER FROM DAY 1 BABEY HERE WE GO
(I recommend at least looking at the end of the previous chapter just to reorient yourself if you don't remember what was going on, Cinderella just popped in and this starts from her POV)
What she was seeing didn't make any sense. She had to be dreaming — no, having a nightmare. Terra wouldn't — Terra couldn't hurt someone like that. Yes, she'd seen him use that dark power to protect her outside the manor, but this… this wasn't protecting anyone. And he'd looked so — so angry. His face contorted in a terrifying snarl, the way her stepsisters had looked at her before tearing her dress from her body.
"Cinderella — it's not what it looks like—" Terra protested as his grip slackened. His grip on… on the boy's throat. At least, he was probably a boy; he looked smaller than Terra, even if the mask covering his face made it difficult to tell. Terra said he was only fighting monsters, how could he… why would he…
The boy slid to the ground, wheezing heavily. He lifted an arm weakly towards her.
"Please… help me…"
"Don't talk to her!" Terra snapped at the boy. Cinderella flinched and stepped back, clinging to the doorframe. Why had Terra's magic called her here? She'd come thinking he was in trouble, but this…
She swallowed, gathering her courage. She'd trusted Terra before; she wanted to be believe… believe what? That this really wasn't what it looked like?
"Terra, what's going on?" She asked boldly.
"This is Vanitas," he said, not meeting her eyes. His strange sword stayed pointed at the boy on the ground, who'd gone still save for his ragged breathing. He was dressed strangely, in some kind of… she didn't know what, but still, he looked so small lying there like that. When Terra had spoken of Vanitas before, she'd always assumed he was some sort of monster, like the ones who had attacked her stepmother's house. But even though she could sense a thick darkness emanating from him, his form looked very much human.
"What… were you going to do to him?" Her voice grew weak. There was a reason Terra was holding his sword like that, she knew. But if he was really a knight, shouldn't he be bringing the boy – Vanitas – to justice? He may be from a different world, but surely their laws couldn't be so… brutal. They couldn't have the right to just execute someone, even someone as wicked as Vanitas must be.
"I – I was – he has to be destroyed, Cinderella," Terra said firmly, with a determination she normally have admired it. But not now. Not like this.
"Why? Can't we find a different way to stop him?" She whispered as tears stung her eyes.
"I can't risk letting him escape again," he answered, though his voice sounded less certain now. "If he tries to hurt you because I didn't stop him…"
"Look at him. You have stopped him." She gestured to the boy, who slumped as if barely clinging to consciousness. There was no way he could defend himself if Terra decided to keep fighting.
"You don't have to do this, Terra. I – I believed in you. I still believe in you."
She did. She did. He wouldn't do this. The sword must just be to keep him from trying to run; there was no way Terra could… he wouldn't.
"Cinderella…" His eyes softened, faintly reflecting the afternoon light hazing through the open door. Still, his grip on his weapon didn't falter. "I don't want to do this either, but I do have to. It's the only way to stop those monsters from attacking again. They come from him. He's not the helpless boy you're seeing now – he's an abomination."
Vanitas flinched at that, just visibly enough for Cinderella to notice.
"That's what you think, huh," he said softly, in a voice that certainly didn't sound like a monster's. "It doesn't matter. You've already–" he coughed violently, "–done enough. Congratulations."
Dark smoke began to wisp from him. Cinderella could feel it in the air – damp and sulfuric, like the mist that sometimes rose up from abandoned well behind the manor. She covered her face with her hand, afraid of breathing it in. Maybe Terra was right, maybe he was just a monster–
But in that moment, he turned his head towards her. The glass of his mask dissolved partially – just long enough for him to stare with pleading golden eyes.
"Thanks for trying," he whispered. Then she was left gaping as he disappeared into a pool of darkness.
For several long moments, neither she nor Terra spoke. They simply stood in shock while the darkness slowly evaporated away. Like it had never been there. Like the boy had never been there.
The boy. Not an abomination, a child. She'd seen his face, though from the angle Terra had been standing at, he couldn't have. At least, that's what she told herself as his mouth settled into a thin line.
"He's gone," he finally said, his eyes blank. Either he couldn't process what he'd done, or he didn't care. "It's over. He can't hurt anyone anymore."
"Terra – you…" The tears that had been brimming in her eyes finally trickled out. She hadn't known Vanitas. All she knew was that he had tried to hurt her and her friends. But he was a person. Surely he didn't deserve… deserve…
"Cinderella," Terra said, stepping around the crushed remains of a dresser to approach her. His eyes finally regained expression, concern. For her. "He was just trying to trick you. It was all an act, I'm sure of it."
She couldn't quite process his words; her mind was racing in fear. Should she run? She couldn't – she thought he'd been trying to help her; all this time, all the kind things he'd said, all the things he'd made her feel– but he was willing to do this. What if deep down he was just like her stepmother and stepsisters, only showing kindness on the outside, waiting until the right moment to reveal the darkness underneath?
What if she'd been wrong to believe?
"I just wanted to keep you safe," he said quietly. Pleadingly. He could see the tears in her eyes now; he reached out as if he could wipe them away, but she stepped back. "Please, you have to understand… I… I just wanted to do the right thing for once."
"And you thought this was right?" She asked. "I – I need a moment, Terra."
"Cinderella, wait!" He called as she spun and rushed from the abandoned building. "Please!"
Her heart felt like it was cracking as she left him there. He'd done so much for her, made her feel like – like she mattered, like she deserved something more than to be hated and abused. But how could she look at him the same way after this? How could she see her Terra, the first person she'd come to trust, come to – come to –
She came to a halt in the alley behind the tailors' guild.
"I love him," she whispered her realization aloud. She shut her eyes, squeezing the water out of them. "I loved him…"
She could only see it now, when her feelings had been flipped inside out. Was there any way she could trust him again, much less love him?
It couldn't be true. There had to be some explanation for what Terra had done. She still wanted to… she wanted to believe…
"Actually, there is one thing. Just… believe in me."
Had he known something like this would happen? Had he been afraid he'd make the wrong choice? He… he hadn't really meant to – to kill Vanitas. He'd never dealt a finishing blow. But… he'd said it had to be done… were there things like this that had to be done? He'd seen other worlds; he knew so much more than her, with her entire world wrapped in the Tremaine's Manor until mere days ago. What could she know about the way the world worked? How could she know Vanitas didn't have to die?
Even if he did… I didn't want to see Terra so… so angry. That moment had terrified her more than anything.
But still… he deserved a chance to explain, didn't he? Once she cleared her head, she could go back and talk to him. But not yet. She just needed to breathe, and get that awful image out of her head, and the awful smell of sulfur out of her nose –
Wait. If Vanitas was gone, why did the smell linger in the air all the way out here?
A rustling sound came from the alleyway behind her. That was odd; there wasn't any grass to rustle there…
"Oh," she gasped, covering her mouth. "But – there aren't supposed to be monsters anymore! That was what Terra said…"
But there was one of the small blue creatures twitching in the middle of the road. And then another leapt out of the ground – and then another, and another –
Terra was wrong. Defeating Vanitas hadn't stopped them at all. And now he wasn't here to protect her.
She dashed down the open end of the alleyway, towards the guild. If only she had a sword like Terra's! She'd told him she didn't need him here all of the time, that she would have to take care of herself – and yet here she was, as helpless as they day they'd first met. Where was her fairy godmother now?
When she could no longer hear the monsters behind her, she risked a glance over her shoulder – while still running, of course. Just because she didn't hear them didn't mean they were gone.
But as it turned out, they were gone. Had she outrun them? They were small, but she hadn't expected to lose them so quickly – still, there was no reason to stop here, where they could easily ambush her again. She needed to be out in the open, around people, or at least somewhere she could grab a sturdy broom handle to beat them off with.
"You run pretty fast, for a princess."
She spun at the low voice, and came face to face with –
"...Vanitas?" But that couldn't be right, he was – she'd seen him disappear! But now he was blocking the exit to the alleyway, standing as casually as if he'd been there all along. His strange helmet was completely intact too. Had she imagined the face she'd seen beneath it?
"The one and only. How kind of you to remember me." But that voice he was using didn't sound kind at all. There was a good reason Terra had been fighting him, as much as she'd hated to see so much violence. Cold settled in the pit of her stomach as she realized she wouldn't be able to outrun Vanitas as easily as those monsters.
There has to be a way out. I didn't escape Stepmother just to be attacked by someone like this!
"I thought you were…" She began to stall for time. If she cried out for help, she was sure he wouldn't hesitate to attack, but maybe someone would hear them if she just spoke loud enough. Maybe Terra would hear. He'd always come when she needed it most… But she didn't have the special crystals to help call him this time.
"Dead? Nah, you made sure that wouldn't happen. For all Terra's talk, he never could've killed me in front of you. So that makes twice you've done me a favor."
"...Twice?" She asked, discreetly looking for something, anything she could use as a distraction. But the alleyway was empty, the walls of the surrounding buildings made of smooth-sanded stone. His monsters must have chased her here for that reason.
"That's right. You were too busy sobbing your eyes out the first time to notice." He snorted. "That's alright, though. I've still got one last favor I'm going to need from you."
"I won't help you," she said, clenching her fists. Not that it would help her; if he'd managed to survive fighting Terra, nothing she could do would matter.
"Tch. Like you've got a choice."
He snapped his fingers, and a giant monster rose to life between them. The bulky thing seized her around the middle before she could run.
"Let – go!" She shouted, trying to kick back at it. Its skin caved in, but bounced back as if she'd done nothing. "Terra!"
Vanitas laughed at that. "So you've forgiven that idiot already? Or are you just that desperate?"
"He's not an idiot!" She defended, not that it mattered. He was just toying with her now. Just like her stepsisters would, only this boy sounded smarter. And he was certainly more powerful.
She went still, succumbing to the large monster's grip. Wasting energy now wouldn't help; she'd need to look for an opening to escape. Vanitas couldn't take her far without someone noticing.
"Trust me. You don't know Terra half as well as I do," Vanitas said before waving his arm. Her eyes widened when an oval mass of darkness grew from his gesture.
"I know Terra better than you," she said as loudly as she dared. She didn't know what that darkness was for, but she didn't want to find out. Hopefully she could stall just a little longer. "He's strong, and kind, and he's always trying to do what's right."
His chuckle raised the hairs on the back of her neck.
"That's what I'm counting on."
Vanitas stepped aside, and the monster carried her towards the swirling mass of black. Panic surged up inside her; she had to get out, it couldn't end like this–!
"Terra!" She cried one last time, reaching out to him with all her heart.
And then everything went black.
XXX
The warehouse was silent. Terra hardly dared to breathe as he stared out into the dying afternoon light.
Cinderella… please… I'm so sorry…
He crouched on the ground, dropping his head into his hands. After everything he'd tried to set right, everything he thought he'd learned, he'd done it again. Aurora, Snow White, and now Cinderella. He couldn't be trusted so close to their light.
Vanitas was right, he thought as water leaked through the gaps in his fingers. I'm just as much a monster as he was.
He'd been stupid to think he could use darkness to protect the light. He should've listened to the Master; he knew better. He'd just wanted to believe that for once he could do something right.
Master Xehanort had told him that destroying Vanitas would set things right. So why did he feel so awful?
"Is it because I tried to fight darkness with darkness?" He whispered, dropping his hands to the ground. The dirt clung to his tear-soaked fingers.
"I let my anger take over…"
He didn't just fight Vanitas to protect Cinderella. He'd done it to save himself — to prove his light was strong enough.
"Stupid." He shook his head in disgust. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
He punched the ground, wincing as it scraped his knuckles. The brief flash of pain cleared his head slightly. He shouldn't be sitting here wallowing in self-pity. What was done was done. He couldn't change that.
"At least she'll be safe now. She doesn't need me here anymore."
But I still need her, his heart protested. He shoved the feeling down and stood, turning his back to the doorway. Right now if anyone needed him, it was Aqua.
He illuminated his blade and wove his way through the warehouse's old furniture… or what was left of it. His fight with Vanitas had left a trail of shattered wood and debris. Guilt for that would've pulled at him if he weren't already so numb.
The path of destruction led him back to Aqua's unconscious form. His rage still burned at Vanitas for doing this to her. Surely anyone who could hurt Aqua so badly deserved to be destroyed. Right? So why had Cinderella defended him? Why did everything have to be so confusing?
He knelt down at her side and rested his hand on her shoulder. Her skin was so cold, she could he be too late—? No, her chest rose and fell slowly.
"Heal," he whispered, letting the soothing green glow pass from his hand into her skin. His Cure spell was weak, but it was enough to shock Aqua's eyes open.
"Void!" She bolted upright. She probably would have leapt to her feet if Terra hadn't held on to her shoulder.
"Whoa, Aqua! It's alright, you just got knocked out for a while. Take it easy."
"Nngh…" She gripped her head and leaned forward, resting against his arm. If she was willing to accept his help like that, she must be in really bad shape. "I wasn't just knocked out. He did it again."
"Did what – again?" His eyes widened. "You've fought him before?"
She nodded weakly while massaging her temples. It made sense; he should've guessed from the way Vanitas had taunted them. Something about the way he'd spoken had sounded personal.
"Yes. Well… not exactly. It's complicated, but he has stolen my light before."
"That's what he said," Terra remembered. "But how can someone steal light? I mean, without–" He winced. Without stealing their heart. Whatever evil he'd done, Vanitas still hadn't stolen Aqua's heart, not the way Terra had stolen Aurora's.
"I don't know exactly how he does it," Aqua said, not seeming to think anything of his abrupt pause. "I tried to replicate it once, but I think I… messed up. There were some side effects… anyway, it's not good. How long have I been out? Is he…?"
"He's gone," Terra said, unsure what to make of the rest of… that. She'd done what? Tried to steal light too? That didn't make any sense, unless she meant she tried to take it back from Vanitas after he stole it in the first place. That had to be it.
"Gone?" She moved to stand again, but didn't make it before falling back again. Her curse startled Terra; she must be doing even worse than he'd thought. "He escaped?"
"No," he corrected quickly. "He's gone. I… put an end to him."
He looked away, preparing himself for the same kind of reaction Cinderella had given him. Aqua was a Master; she wouldn't have let the darkness in. She would've been smart enough to bring Vanitas back to Master Eraqus, or find some other way to stop him. She would have–
"Really?" She asked, snapping him out of it. Her face glowed in the light of his blade, but her expression was hopeful rather than accusing. "Is he… really gone? For good?"
"He faded away into the darkness," he spilled out. "I didn't mean to kill him, Aqua. I was angry, and afraid and I didn't hold back the darkness – I should have–"
"What are you talking about?" She interrupted. "Terra, you did the right thing. Void had to be destroyed."
A tiny bit of tension loosened in his chest, but still… He couldn't escape the look on Cinderella's face. How could it have been right, if it had made her look at him like that?
Then he finally processed what she'd said.
"Void?" His eyebrows drew together. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh. I suppose he wouldn't have told you. That's the boy in the mask's name. Fitting, I think."
"Uh, Aqua? I don't know what he told you, but that's not his name."
Terra scooted closer to her and stabbed his glowing keyblade into the ground. They had a lot to catch up on, and it didn't seem like she'd be ready to move for a while.
"What? How would you know his name?"
"Master Xehanort told me," he began, only for Aqua to cut him off with a shocked outburst.
"And you trust him?"
"What? Aqua, what's gotten into you?" Had Vanitas's spell done more to her than he'd realized? She seemed to be recovering, but some of the things she said worried him. Void? And stealing light? Not quite fighting him?
Aqua grabbed his arm abruptly, her eyes flashing in his keyblade's harsh light.
"Terra – Void is working for Xehanort."
"What?" He shook off her grip. "No, that – that can't be right! Xehanort is the one who told me to destroy him!"
"He – what?" Aqua rubbed her head with a groan. "None of this makes any sense!"
"Aqua, how did you even get that idea?" Terra asked – demanded, really. He didn't mean for it to come out so abrasive.
"Void let it slip when we were talking. The way he said it, I was so sure… unless even that was one of his mind games…"
"You were talking with him?"
"Not like that!" Aqua snapped back with one of those glares that always made him feel like he'd done something morally reprehensible. Which, possibly, he had… but he couldn't let himself think about that now.
"He'd kidnapped me! There wasn't anything else I could do!"
"Hang on, you were kidnapped?" He burst. "Why didn't you tell me!?"
She flinched back before straightening up again, with the stiff posture she took when defending herself.
"It didn't come up."
"You could have made it come up!"
"I had to tell you about Xehanort first! And it doesn't matter, I'm — I'm fine. I handled it. I escaped."
Of course she did. She was Aqua, the Keyblade Master — no, Aqua, the girl who was strong, and determined, and capable even before she'd earned that title. He hadn't even considered that she could be in trouble. All this time, he'd been worried about protecting Cinderella, when Aqua had apparently been Vanitas's real target.
"...I'm glad you're alright," he said quietly. "And I'm sorry. I should have…"
"You couldn't have known." Her voice grew softer too. "I'm sorry for shouting. I'm just so confused… I thought I had this figured out, but now I'm not so sure."
"To be honest, I feel the same way." He shook his head. "Xehanort told me I had to destroy Vanitas, but now that I have, I feel…" He sighed. "It's all wrong. Cinderella saw me, and she..."
He dropped his head into his hands. "How could you understand? You've never disappointed anyone, and I can't seem to stop."
She didn't reply. He knew he'd messed up, but Aqua… she would still be there for him, right? She'd always been there for him, no matter how many times they argued or fought. Becoming a Keyblade Master wouldn't change that… he hoped. Besides, she'd said he'd done the right thing, even if she didn't know he'd used darkness. So why was she silent?
"You. Destroyed… who?"
He looked up, but was unprepared for the trembling lips and watery-eyed stare that faced him.
"You. Destroyed. Who."
"V-Vanitas," he repeated. "But I don't understand. You said—"
A soft sob escaped her lips. "You— you—"
Aqua didn't cry. Not in front of him, at least. Sometimes she'd allow him to bring her ice cream, but when it came to comfort, Ven was the one she turned to. Their friend's sense of humor could usually snap her out of it. But Ven wasn't here now, and Terra — he didn't even know what was wrong.
"I said I was going to save him," Aqua choked out through her tears. "It's all my fault he ended up here, he never should have— he never should have danced with me, and none of this would've happened."
"You danced with him?" He shouldn't shout, he knew he shouldn't, but — light, she wasn't making any sense! Vanitas must have brainwashed her somehow while she'd been kidnapped. That was the only explanation.
"That's what you're focusing on here?" She clenched her fists and shouted. "You killed him! I stood up for you, I told the Master you wouldn't give into the darkness and you — you did this!"
She slammed a fist into his chest. She was still weak, so only half the wind was knocked out of him, rather than all of it. By the punch, at least. Her words still finished the job.
"He was just a boy," she whispered. "He didn't deserve any of this, he — he can't be gone! Not when I—"
"Aqua," he pleaded. "You're not thinking straight. Vanitas, he must have put some kind of spell on you while you were kidnapped—"
"You're the one who's not thinking straight if you think I'd ever be okay with what you did!"
Stumbling and nearly knocking over Earthshaker, she finally got to her feet. He was too stunned to speak as she glared down at him.
"The darkness has taken you."
If his heart hadn't already shattered when Cinderella had left, it did now. She fled the warehouse, leaving him shaking in the flickering light of his keyblade.
"Aqua…" He squeezed his eyes shut. She didn't know what she was saying. Whatever had happened to her, it had to have left her mind distorted if she'd voluntarily spend time with the monster. Still, that didn't soothe the sting of her words.
But something still didn't add up: she'd fought Vanitas without complaint. She'd even told him he'd done the right thing by killing "Void." The only time she'd shown any kind of sympathy for him was when… was when…
"I called him Vanitas," he realized. "She was calling him Void. She didn't realize… oh light."
It still didn't make sense. How could Vanitas have convinced her he was Void? And who did she think "Vanitas" was?
She'd said he was working for Xehanort. That had to be a lie; it made more sense that Vanitas had said Xehanort created him, which was technically true. But that still didn't explain how she would have danced with someone named Vanitas. Unless there was another boy named Vanitas in this world, but that didn't sound likely.
Either way… there was nothing he could do. Aqua didn't want to speak to him. Cinderella didn't want to speak to him. He wasn't sure which loss hurt more.
He shook off the thought. It didn't matter anyway; he would be leaving both of them. Ven, too, he realized with a sinking heart. He could never tell Ven after the girls' reactions. Especially considering Vanitas had once been a part of him, there was no telling how he might feel.
"Then… there's only one place left to go."
He stood, drawing Earthshaker and letting its light extinguish.
It was time to go back to Master Xehanort.
XXX
Vanitas crept out of the rafters and onto the neighboring rooftops, tailing Aqua at a safe distance. It had been a quick turnaround to come back after dropping off Cinderella at the Keyblade Graveyard. Probably too quick, considering the damage he'd taken. If he had his way he'd be taking a nice long nap right now. But he'd had to see if Aqua was alright.
No, not see if she's alright. Put an end to her. Just like she wanted to do to me.
She wouldn't work as a backup plan anymore. He'd realized it from the moment he drained her light in the warehouse, and honestly, he should have realized it before. She didn't have enough light if she couldn't handle an attack like that. He needed a pure heart – one like the princesses, or his other half. Anything less wouldn't survive long enough for them to merge.
There's no reason to keep her around.
So why do I still wish I could…?
He nearly missed the leap to the next rooftop. Definitely because of exhaustion after that battle, and not because of the distracting thoughts.
He couldn't keep Aqua. There was no point in dreaming about it anymore, especially not when it had nearly gotten him killed. Still might, depending on what Terra let slip to Xehanort. How could he have ever believed this plan would work? None of this would've happened if he hadn't been so… so…
Stupid? But could he really call it stupid when it had also been the only time he'd ever felt human? The way Aqua had treated "Vanitas"... for once, he hadn't been just an abomination.
Stop that, he told himself as her reaction to Terra's words flashed through his head again. Her tears. Her rage. Her desire to save him—
I said stop! At this rate, he'd end up leaking out Unversed before Terra left this world.
Aqua doesn't care about you. She cares about someone who doesn't really exist. So get over yourself and get back to work.
He skidded down the rough shingles onto a narrow balcony. His boots scraped against the wooden tiles louder than he would've liked, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Stupid. It was almost like he wanted her to hear him.
Not that she would. She was barely paying enough attention to avoid the other people in her way. From above, he could tell that her reckless path was leading her right into a dead end. She was making his job too easy.
It should beeasy. She wanted him dead; she hadn't mourned "Void" at all. And Void was who he was — the monster, the abomination Terra saw. Not the boy that princess had seen for half a second, and definitely not the friend that Aqua thought "Vanitas" was.
He crouched behind the balcony railing and clenched his fists. His eyes closed, shutting out the warm evening light.
I'm an abomination beyond hope of salvation, he repeated those barbed words. Aqua will never see me any differently. This will be easier if I just accept that.
He steeled himself and swung off the balcony, landing hard on the ground below with a pained grunt. He rubbed his knee as he straightened back up.
Maybe I should wait, he thought, scratching at where phantom fingers still squeezed around his neck. No, no, this is the only time she'll be weak too. He'd watched her stumble her way through the streets; she hadn't recovered much more than he had. Probably less, honestly. Her scream echoed through his mind again...
He kept to the shadows as he followed Aqua's path. There was only one way the alley twisted from here, so she couldn't have gone far.
There. He peeked out from behind a corner, just enough to see her sitting on the ground between some abandoned crates. Her knees were gathered against her chest, and her head hung low. Her shoulders shook like… like she was crying…
He pressed himself back against the wall, breathing harder than he should have needed to. Why was his heart beating so fast? It didn't matter if she was crying. That just meant she wouldn't see his attack coming.
Just do it already! If he hesitated, he'd end up doing something stupid. Again. Like when he'd tried to pretend Aqua could possibly care about him.
I'm a monster. A freak. I should do what monsters and freaks do.
He cupped his hand to his chest, charging a Dark Thundaga in his palm. Thunder. Just like the shotlock she'd struck him with. It would be a fitting end.
After two deep breaths, he risked looking around the corner to take aim. But when he did, the electricity fizzled out between his fingers.
Held tenderly in her hands was Vanitas's letter. He didn't have to be able to read it to know; he could recognize his wobbling handwriting even from here. He'd spent enough time rewriting that letter to etch it in his memory.
"Vanitas… I'm so sorry," she whispered as tears dripped onto the wrinkled paper. Her lips moved as if to say something else, but he couldn't make it out before it dissolved into soft crying.
A small Flood wisped out of his chest, taking with it an emotion he couldn't quite describe. The monster stared up at him with accusing red eyes.
"I know," he muttered, clenching his fist in front of him. "I'm being stupid again. She has to die, or else Xehanort will make sure I do."
The Flood shook its head.
"What? You think I'm special enough Xehanort will spare me?" He laughed bitterly, then dropped his voice. Aqua might be preoccupied, but there was no guarantee she wouldn't hear him anyway. "He's already made it clear what he thinks of me. He could always pick one of his other backup plans to start the X-Blade War. He'll have all the time in the world after he gets his hands on Terra."
Still the Flood shook its head, more frustratedly this time.
That's not what I meant, it seemed to be saying. I meant you're not being stupid.
"You're being stupid then," he snapped at it. "You're a part of me, you're just telling me what I want to hear."
The Flood threw up its arms in exasperation. Vanitas was sure he only imagined its words, but even if it was just his mind arguing with himself, it was troubling. Wanting to help Aqua was stupid. Wanting to go to her, to tell her that he was still alive, to hold her in his arms again—
He turned and slammed his fists against the stone wall. It took all of his energy not to scream along with it. After everything Aqua had put him through, he still couldn't kill her! Why? She was just sitting there, weak and helpless, and he— all he could think was—
She cared about me when no one else did. Even if it was based on a lie, he couldn't… he couldn't destroy the only person in the worlds who had ever shown him kindness. The only person he'd ever cared about in return.
It's really over then, he thought as water leaked down his face and pooled in the bottom of his helmet. She'll never forgive me once she learns the truth. And Xehanort will probably kill me before she gets the chance.
Wait.
Unless…
I make it so Xehanort can't kill me.
There was still a chance he could forge the X-Blade first. His mind had been so wrapped up in his plans with Aqua and Terra and Cinderella that he'd almost forgotten the most important prize: Ventus. His other half. His key to escaping Xehanort. The only way he could get back the light that had once been his own… and the only way that Aqua might be able to see him as something more than a monster.
"One last chance," he whispered. It was a gamble, but not much more of one than everything he'd already done. He just hoped Ventus was ready.
He let down the walls around his heart and followed the painful flood of light that entered. Ventus was close. How they'd failed to run into each other so far was beyond him, as well as why their connection still felt weaker than it should. He'd find out soon enough, though. His determination sent a new wave of energy through him, which he amplified by gulping down his last hi-potion – he'd need his full strength for the fight to come.
One last chance. He'd show them.
This abomination would receive salvation.
XXX
Also, you can quit apologizing. I would have danced with you anyway. I'm way more selfish than you are.
I'm doing fine for now. Bored as Hades, but fine. Void better be treating you okay. I know you said not to fight him, but if he hurts you, I'll kill him. Keyblade or no keyblade.
And what makes you think you'll be the one to get me out of here? Maybe I'll surprise both of you key masters and be the hero. In the meantime, don't do anything stupid.
- Vanitas
P.S. You said I was handsome. Is that enough proof for you?
The words had barely been legible to begin with, and the tears clouding Aqua's eyes didn't help. Neither did the fact that the ink ran when the wet drops inevitably dripped from her chin to the paper before she could dry them. But it didn't matter. By now, Vanitas's letter was written in her heart.
Don't do anything stupid. She'd done the stupidest thing possible — challenged Void, and left Vanitas unprotected. She still didn't know where he'd gone, or how Terra had found him, or why… why…
It hurt too badly to even think the words. Terra couldn't have done that. He was her best friend, no, he was practically family. Even though she'd known he had a problem with darkness, she'd never even thought…
But Void had warned her. She'd thought he was just trying to get under her skin, but now… Had he somehow known Terra would do this? What had Void seen in the week that she had been trapped in the castle? If she had escaped sooner… if she had been able to talk to Terra beforehand, explain that it was Void's fault that Vanitas had darkness, maybe Vanitas wouldn't be...
"He can't be gone," she whispered. "He can't."
He had no family to mourn him. From the way he talked, no one would miss him… except her. And there were so many things he'd never get to do – his eyes would never again light up at the stars, as if seeing them for the first time. He'd never get to learn how to dance for real, not just the swaying back and forth they'd done at the ball. He'd never regain his light. He'd never hold her, with powerful arms she hadn't expected below his dirty stolen suit.
And as selfish as it was, she would never know how her heart really felt about him…
She held the letter close as she tried to stop the tears. But couldn't she let herself cry, just this once? Terra had destroyed Void too; she wasn't in any danger now.
Vanitas deserved to be mourned by the only person left to remember him. She could let her pain show for these few solitary moments.
With her eyes shut and leaking water, she didn't see the small creature approaching her until it cautiously tapped her knee.
Immediately she leapt to her feet; the letter fluttered to the ground as she summoned Rainfell. When she registered what the creature was though, she stared in shock, unsure if she should attack.
The small Flood picked up the letter and held it up to her. The Flood – she was sure this was the same one that had helped her escape Void. No other Unversed made facial expressions the way this one did, with its red eyes curving downward sadly.
"But Terra destroyed you," Aqua breathed, even as she carefully reached out and took the letter back. "I saw it, he– oh light. If you're here, then– Void must have survived too!"
Her eyes darted around the alleyway, but there was no sign of the leader of the monsters. She even crept around the corner in case he was hiding there. Nothing.
The Flood tugged at her skirt-wrap.
"What's wrong?" She folded the letter back into her pocket and asked.
For some reason, the Flood pointed at her face. She brushed her cheek with her fingertips, feeling the saltwater beginning to crust there.
"I was just crying," she answered when its head tilted in concern. "My friend is… my friend is gone."
Her throat tightened; she didn't dare try to explain anything more. Not that the Flood should be able to understand– or care, for that matter. It was nothing more than a fledgeling emotion… one of Void's emotions.
Which was why it made no sense when the Flood stretched up for her hand, tugged her closer to its level, and began to rub the tears from her face. She was so startled that for a few moments she just stared at it, wondering how a creature built to destroy could be so gentle.
"It's okay," she finally said with a sad smile. "I mean… I'm not okay. But it's okay to cry for the people you care about."
The Flood shook its head rapidly.
"Yes it is," she insisted. "Please, just… leave me alone. Let me have this. I can't do anything else for him."
Another violent shake of its head. Then it stared directly into her eyes, as if it could speak to her through its gaze. She didn't know what it wanted to say, though.
"Unless… you're trying to tell me I can do something for him? Light, is he– is he alive!?"
Her keyblade vanished at the realization. It was barely a thread of hope, but if Void had survived, and this Flood had survived – why couldn't Terra have been wrong about Vanitas too? She hadn't seen what had happened, and she hadn't stayed long enough to ask Terra. Maybe, maybe there was something she'd missed.
Her heart soared when the Flood nodded and jumped in excitement.
"Vanitas is alive!" She lifted the Flood beneath its arms and hugged it close. It nuzzled under her chin happily, wiping away her last fears that this could be a trap. No monster of Void's making should be able to show affection like that. This Unversed was special, and right now it was the only lead she had.
She would believe. Light, she wanted to believe.
"Can you tell me where to find him?" She asked while holding it back out at arms' length. It nodded quickly, then squirmed to be put down. To her surprise though it didn't run off; it only pointed to her hand until she realized it wanted her to summon her keyblade.
"Okay… did Void take him to another world?" She frowned in confusion. If Void hadn't taken him away before, she didn't know why he would now. The thought worried her, though. They really could be anywhere.
The Flood made some gestures that were completely incomprehensible. She didn't understand; it had been a simple yes or no question, and normally the creature could answer those just fine.
"...Well, let's just take the glider and you can point me where to go from there, alright? Whether it's in this world or not." Maybe it was too soon to be traveling, after what she'd been through today, but she couldn't leave him alone. Not again. She'd have time to charge up a few Cures on the flight, anyway. Even if she didn't, by the time she found Void, her anger would be hot enough to take him out no matter what.
The Unversed nodded enthusiastically at her. She tossed Rainfell down the alley and hopped on when it came flying back over the wall behind her. The Flood joined her, leaping to grab onto her footrest and scrambling up from there.
"Hold on tight." She scooped it up to sit between her chest and the handlebars, where it settled in comfortably before pointing towards the sky.
"Different world it is." Her eyes narrowed as she sped over the city and into the last rays of the sunset.
You don't have to be the hero, Vanitas. I'm coming.
A/N: HERE WE GO HERE WE GO
Guys I'm just so hype to write the rest of this fic, here's to hoping I don't drop it for another 3 months again rip