Days of training turned into weeks that turned into months. Xehanort started leaving more and more often, leaving Vanitas to train alone and generally wander the castle. Every morning Vanitas trained with the heartless, then practiced his magic, then often travelled alone to nearby worlds to explore before his Master could return to find him missing. He read that time travelled differently in each world, so he chose those with slower time so he could stay out longer and see all that the worlds had to offer for a teenage boy. The sting of losing Ventus had faded significantly, he was relatively ok with the thought that Ventus was off training under a Master that could nurture his happier style. Vanitas himself had grown happier with his life significantly, but at the same time was being groomed and taught to enjoy the darker things in life. It started with simple things like enjoying gory horror movies instead of just the happy rom coms and sci fi that Ventus liked and being more violent towards heartless than Ventus ever would. It expended more energy at first, just like it used to when he let his rage against Ven drive his fights. But he was learning to control his rage, to use it instead of letting it use him, and he found significant strength in it.
But slowly over the next year, Xehanort had been teaching Vanitas that really it was them against the world, and if the world suffered for them to get what they needed then that was the way it had to be. At first it disturbed Vanitas, killing heartless was one thing, even getting into fights with Ventus when they didn't get along wasn't a big deal, but as he learned Xehanort's plan to plunge all worlds into darkness... the lives that would be ended, the hearts lost, it was all too much. Honestly he still wasn't totally ok with the idea. Xehanort taught him that all began in darkness, and that by returning to darkness the world would be his and he could fix it to it's original glory. Vanitas accepted that fine. Xehanort told him that in darkness, all began as the creatures of it, be it heartless/unversed, or just bodyless hearts; he told him that people wouldn't really die, they would just stop existing the way they currently do. Vanitas could accept that. But the whole idea in itself rubbed him the wrong way, he still felt like they were killing and destroying even though he believed everything his master told him. He couldn't understand what was wrong with the world how it was anyway, why did it need to be reverted to it's original state.
But then he understood.
It was the day of the Mark of Mastery Exam for Eraqus' students, and Xehanort invited Vanitas to come along and watch. His only condition was for Vanitas to go in full armor. Vanitas was excited at the aspect, the armor told him that he himself might get to show off his skills. Ventus would be there, maybe they could spar, maybe Eraqus would be impressed by his power, maybe he could take the Mark of Mastery too after they saw that his skills far surpassed his age! It was going to be an amazing day, and Vanitas couldn't wait to get there. They used a Dark Corridor to travel, and as they stepped out to the gates of the Land of Departure, Vanitas was stunned at how regal and majestic it looked compared to their own home in the dark desert.
"This is where you trained, isn't it, Master?" He asked as they made a slow ascent up the mountain. For some reason, Xehanort refused to use his shapeshifting magic to it's full capacity in front of Eraqus and so was a decrepit old man who couldn't walk very fast; the incline didn't help.
"Yes, I was here with Eraqus when we were both young," Xehanort said in his old, rasping voice. It was like sandpaper after Vanitas had gotten so used to having his younger form around.
"So why don't we live here? Why does Eraqus?" He cocked his head, he didn't mind their home, but how did Xehanort wind up in the desert by the Keyblade Graveyard in the first place.
"Ah well, normally the Keyblade Apprentice most akin to a shared Master will take over the castle of that Master. However our Master died before our Mark of Mastery Exam and Yen Sid finished our training. So he couldn't choose who got to stay here and train more apprentices. But I didn't really want this place, didn't want to be the center of attention for those seeking to become wielders, so I gave up my right to Eraqus and went to start my own facility where only the apprentice I chose would be there."
"Oh I see, so anyone can come here to learn? Like a school?"
"Yes and no, they can come here to apply to learn. The Master still chooses whether or not he thinks they are worthy and have potential, but rather than going out to seek those who have it, they come to him and he chooses them. I preferred to travel and find those I thought were worthy. Though it is much harder to do with the laws about not meddling in other worlds in place. You can't walk around asking people if they want to be a Keyblade Master without revealing that there are other worlds, so it's quite a process. But I'd say even if Ventus wasn't a good fit with us, you were the perfect choice. When you two split apart, you were all the potential I saw in the original Ventus."
Vanitas smiled at the praise and followed quietly up to the summit of the mountain.
Vanitas went to go find his twin, overly excited. He knew the other's memory had been erased, but he knew once they were together again, Ventus would remember everything. They were two sides of a coin and he was certain that just being near one another, they would click just like they used to. He had even brought him a gift, a keychain for his blade that Vanitas had forged himself. It didn't necessarily make the most powerful keyblade, but Vanitas had worked hard on it. It took a lot of complicated magic and ingredients that had been incredibly hard to find. He couldn't wait to give it to him! But what he found wasn't Ventus excited to see him. He walked up on a sparring match. So he sat to see how much his brother's skills had grown in the last year.
It was disappointing.
What had Ventus been doing all year? He was a total amateur! Maybe he was just holding back to make the Masters-to-be more confident before their test. Yeah, that had to be it. Sweet little Ventus giving his friends a nice little confidence boost so they wouldn't be so nervous. As their match ended, Vanitas walked over, but was completely ignored just shy of speaking when the woman, Aqua, pulled out 3 charms and walked to the two boys. They were made of beautiful stained glass and silver, she said something about a fruit that intertwined people's destinies, and that these charms would keep them together forever. No matter what happened. A jealous nausea settled over Vanitas. He looked down at his own crudely forged gift. It was ugly compared to the woman's charms. And just from the magic she had done in their sparring match, whatever magic she infused in those charms was probably much better than anything he could do. But even that wasn't what broke him. Sure he wasn't as good as this almost Master, it was disappointing, but acceptable. She was older and more experienced. No what broke Vani to pieces was when the woman left and Ventus was left with a tall, muscular male only a little older than himself.
"Good luck, I know you'll do well," Ventus said with a blush, and he stood on his toes to kiss the male on the mouth. It was short, but it was all it took to break Vanitas' heart. He couldn't explain why it hurt so bad, his love for Ventus was familial, not romantic. But it felt like somehow he had been replaced. Replaced by a woman who was a better mage and a man who was a better fighter. And the man was obviously much closer to Ven than Vani had ever been or ever could be. It felt like a door was slammed in his face that no amount of strength could break through.
Later, Vani approached Ventus during the Exam, while neither of them were allowed in the Castle. Ventus didn't recognize him! Vanitas got within feet of him, called him by name, and Ventus couldn't recognize the other half of his own heart?! It made Vani's blood boil, so he crushed the stupid keychain he made and left to go sulk about how unfair the whole situation was.
Even then, Vani tried to tell himself he was being stupid. Of course a cute, generous guy like Ventus would have tons of friends and even a boyfriend. He shouldn't feel betrayed and he knew it. Ventus had done nothing wrong, just moved on with his life when he had no memory of the one before it. But then it clicked. This was always how it had been, always how it would be. Ventus was attractive, his bright eyes and blond hair, the light that shown within. Vanitas had been out hadn't he? He went to the festival, he had snuck away from the castle a few times to see worlds he read about in books, and he had made no friends. He had been around Xehanort all this time, who had gone so far as to use a younger form so they could spar and have fun together. Vanitas was obviously attracted to his Master, but he had gotten nowhere closer to getting the other to want him back. He understood that he wasn't jealous Ventus had other friends than him, he was jealous that Ventus had friends when he didn't. Ventus always had what he could never reach. They were two sides of a coin, but it wasn't heads and tails or Yin and Yang, they didn't work in harmony together, they worked against eachother. They were light and darkness, good and evil, and if Vanitas was darkness, then only in the darkness could he prosper and be happy. That's when he realized that Xehanort's plan was the best plan, he realized he really did hate Ventus, and he realized that he was going to get what he wanted, what he needed, no matter what the cost.
It was an added bonus when getting Xehanort the fresh new body he needed meant taking away Ventus' boyfriend.
A/N: Welp... Xehanort's plan worked. He needed to make the boys hate eachother, and he got just what he wanted. Probably going to skip to the end of BBS next chapter, don't really need to tell everyone what they already know happened. Just start after Vani and Ventus fight and show where Vanitas went after everything that happened. Sorry I had to hurt Vani right here, but he'll get better eventually.
